Midshipman John Sword Dorsey, USN

John Dorsey was an officer in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War.

Born in Maryland, Dorsey was appointed midshipman 28 April 1801. He was killed 7 August 1804 in the attack on Tripoli in north Africa when Gunboat No. 9 was blown up by an enemy shell.

In his honor, the USS Dorsey was named after him.

The Tripoli Monument, the oldest military monument in the U.S., honors the heroes of the First Barbary War, including John Dorsey. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=97707619

U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941about John S Dorsey Name: John S Dorsey Death Date: 7 Aug 1804 Volume Title: Navy Casualties: Enemy Action Deaths, 1776-1937

Gunboat Number 9 when the U.S. squadron again bombarded Tripoli on 7 August 1804. While hotly engaged with an enemy battery, a hot shot penetrated her magazine and Gunboat Number 9 blew up. Lieutenant Caldwell and eleven others were killed or mortally wounded in the explosion