...lived kind of a badass life, which is probably why there are over twenty places named after him in the United States. Also a couple of warships.
He was killed at the age of 41 by James Barron, in a duel. The picture of James Barron on Wikipedia makes him look like a seasoned alcoholic. But since he killed an American hero I'm going to say it makes him look like a drunken sot.
Anyway, this part about dueling in those days is fascinating:
Barron's challenge to Decatur occurred during a period when duels between officers were so common that it was creating a shortage of experienced officers, forcing the War Department to threaten to discharge those who attempted to pursue the practice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Decatur
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