From Wikipedia.
On Friday I wrote about the USS Saranac which accompanied Stephen Decatur to the Mediterranean Sea in what became known as the Second Barbary War. Again, I have not been able to find out much about this ship, but decided to at least find out something about the war it fought in back then.
Once the War of 1812 was over, it became necessary for the U.S. Navy to again turn its attention to the Mediterranean Sea where the Barbary pirates were once again harassing and capturing American merchant ships and holding them for ransom.
On February 23, 1815, President James Madison asked Congress for a declaration of war against them and it became so on March 2.
Two squadrons were assembled, one under Decautur at New York and the other at Boston under William Bainbridge. Decatur's fleet of ten ships (one of which was the USS Saranac) was ready first and left for Algiers on May 20, 1815.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
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