RC (DNA: RG 46, LPPM, 8th Cong., 2d sess.); endorsed by a Senate clerk. PoC (DNA: RG 233, PM, 8th Cong., 2d sess.); endorsed by a House clerk. Enclosure: Richard O’Brien to John Gavino, Malta, 5 Sep., detailing the activities of the U.S. naval squadron before Tripoli during August 1804; the attack on 3 Aug. captured three Tripolitan gunboats and inflicted 96 enemy casualties, while the American force lost Lieutenant James Decatur and 13 others killed or wounded; a bombardment carried out on 7 Aug. silenced a Tripolitan battery, fired several shells into Tripoli, and inflicted at least 500 casualties; the assault cost U.S. forces a gunboat and crew that “blew up by fire of Wads of another Boat”; a third attack, carried out on 29 Aug., sank three Tripolitan gunboats and a merchant polacre, while the Constitution fired broadsides “within Pistol Shot” against the main batteries of the city; O’Brien estimates that Tripoli is defended by 115 guns and 45,000 Arabs and inhabitants; the combined American and Neopolitan force included the Constitution, Argus, Siren, Vixen, Nautilus, and Enterprize, plus six gunboats and two bombards; Commodore Samuel Barron and his frigates are expected soon, but will probably arrive too late to participate in another assault before the end of summer; O’Brien believes the present force can only “irritate” Tripoli, but the expected reinforcements will enable the United States to bring Tripoli to terms, free the U.S. captives, or even “drive the Bashaw and Divan out of Tripoli”; in a 12 Sep. postscript, O’Brien reports the arrival at Malta on 5 Sep. of Barron and Captain Hugh G. Campbell; they left shortly thereafter and were expected to arrive off Tripoli by the 10th; word has arrived of the loss of an American vessel (the Intrepid) and its entire crew, who were “blown to atoms”; O’Brien left the squadron on 22 Aug. and plans to return to the United States in the John Adams; he asks Gavino to forward a copy of this letter to the secretary of state; in a second postscript, dated 14 Sep., O’Brien provides more details on the loss of the Intrepid and reports that Barron’s squadron arrived at Tripoli on the 9th; the gunboats, bombards, and several smaller warships left for Syracuse on the 7th, leaving the President, Constitution, Constellation, and Argus off Tripoli; O’Brien doubts the remaining squadron can reduce Tripoli without gunboats and bombards (Tr in DNA: RG 46, LPPM, 8th Cong., 2d sess.; see also Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962- , 41 vols.; Sec. of State Ser., 1986- , 11 vols.; Pres. Ser., 1984- , 10 vols.; Ret. Ser., 2009- , 3 vols. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 8:51, 217-18; Joseph Barnes to TJ, 8 Oct.).