Bainbridge, William

From Encyclopediak

Bainbridge, William (1774-1833), an American naval officer, born in Princeton, N. J. He was captain of a merchant vessel at the age of 19, and was appointed lieutenant-commandant in 1798. In command of the frigate George Washington he carried the commercial tribute to Algiers and the diplomacy of his relations with the dey was highly approved by the United States Government. In 1801 he cruised the Mediterranean in the Essex, and during the war with Tripoli was taken prisoner while commanding the frigate Philadelphia. His next service was in the War of 1812. As commodore of a squadron consisting of the Constitution, the Essex and the Hornet, he captured the British frigate Java, and received a gold medal for the achievement. In 1815 he returned to the Mediterranean, but too late to take part in the war with Tripoli.