James Barron

James Barron (September 15, 1768 – April 21, 1851) was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the Quasi-War and the Barbary Wars, during which he commanded a number of famous ships, including and . As commander of the frigate , in 1807 he was involved in the ''Chesapeake–Leopard'' affair, which led to the surrender of his ship to the British and resulted in his court-martial for his actions during the incident. After criticism from some fellow officers, the resulting controversy led Barron to a pistol duel with one of the officers who had presided over his court-martial, Stephen Decatur, resulting in Decatur's death. Suspended from command for failure to prepare the ''Chesapeake'' for battle, he pursued commercial interests in Europe during the War of 1812. Barron finished his naval career on shore duty, becoming the Navy's senior officer in 1839. Provided by Wikipedia