The ship he was in, USS Philadelphia, struck rocks off Tripoli, and along with his commodore, William Bainbridge, he was kept imprisoned for 19 months.

[1] In the early nineteenth century, the prevalence of yellow fever in the Caribbean "led to serious health problems" and alarmed the United States Navy as numerous deaths and sickness curtailed naval operations and destroyed morale.

[2] A tragic example occurred in May 1822 when the frigate USS Macedonian left Boston and became part of Commodore James Biddle's West Indies Squadron.

Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson had assigned the squadron to guard United States merchant shipping and suppress piracy.

As a consequence of this loss Biddle noted his squadron was forced to return to Norfolk Navy Yard early.

[4] Biddle upset at the loss of his crew wrote Smith Thompson " how deeply my feelings have been afflicted at the disturbing mortality & sickness and ….

Biddle consequently brought charges against Commodore Isaac Hull then in command at the Boston Naval Yard.

A few days later a Japanese junk approached Biddle's flagship, and requested his presence on board their ship to receive the Tokugawa shogunate's official response.