Jonathan Meredith
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Meredith was a United States Marine
during the First Barbary War
.
, Meredith enlisted in the Marine Corps June 6, 1803 and was promoted to Sergeant August 1, of the same year.
During an engagement in the harbor of Tripoli
August 3, 1805, Sergeant Meredith saved the life of Lieutenant
John Trippe
of USS Vixen
, who with a party of nine men had boarded a Tripolitan ship. Heavily outnumbered, the boarding party fought a fierce hand-to-hand combat, in which Trippe was severely wounded; Meredith protected him from what would have been the final blow. Four days later Meredith was killed in the explosion of Gunboat No. 3 during a similar attack against the Tripolitans.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during the First Barbary War
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War , also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United States and the North African Berber Muslim states known collectively as the Barbary States...
.
Biography
Born in Bucks County, PennsylvaniaBucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Meredith enlisted in the Marine Corps June 6, 1803 and was promoted to Sergeant August 1, of the same year.
During an engagement in the harbor of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
August 3, 1805, Sergeant Meredith saved the life of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John Trippe
John Trippe
John Trippe was an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France and the First Barbary War.-Biography:Born in Dorchester County, Maryland, Trippe was appointed a midshipman in the Navy on 5 April 1799...
of USS Vixen
USS Vixen (1803)
The first USS Vixen was a schooner in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War.Vixen was one of four vessels authorized by Congress on 28 February 1803...
, who with a party of nine men had boarded a Tripolitan ship. Heavily outnumbered, the boarding party fought a fierce hand-to-hand combat, in which Trippe was severely wounded; Meredith protected him from what would have been the final blow. Four days later Meredith was killed in the explosion of Gunboat No. 3 during a similar attack against the Tripolitans.