USS Heermann

Lewis Heermann was born on 3 August 1779 in Cassel, Holy Roman Empire [Kassel Stadt, Hesse, Germany] the son of Johann Heermann, a property owner in Cassel. Although baptized under the name Adolph Ludwig Heermann, following his immigration to the United States, he dropped Adolph and anglicized Ludwig to Lewis. Heermann inherited a sizeable fortune from his father and upon reaching adulthood studied medicine in Europe, presumably in his native country. Heermann arrived in the U.S., sometime in 1800, although the precise date of his arrival is not definitively known. He received appointment as a surgeon’s mate in the U.S. Navy on 10 September 1801, in Virginia. Upon accepting the appointment, Heermann was initially attached to the frigate Chesapeake and then temporarily furloughed.

After waiting nearly five months, Heermann commissioned as a surgeon’s mate on 8 February 1802, and reported for duty on board the schooner Enterprise . With the onset of the First Barbary War (1801–1805), Heermann deployed with U.S. naval forces bound for the Mediterranean Sea. Of particular note is the role he played in the navy’s daring action at Tripoli Harbor, [Tripoli, Lebanon], on 16 February 1804. Endeavoring to set fire to the captured American frigate Philadelphia , Lt. Stephen Decatur, USN, commanding the ketch Intrepid , entered Tripoli Harbor under the cover of darkness. Decatur and 60 of his men then disembarked Intrepid in small boats, leaving the ketch with only a small force of men under the command of Surgeon Heermann.

Lt. Decatur recognized that those remaining on board Intrepid would be in great danger, as, once discovered, the harbor batteries would likely target the ship. In expressing his concern at leaving the surgeon on board, Heermann replied, “My life sir is not more valuable than that of any of the other brave officers and men who are to accompany you. Should I be killed or wounded, the officers and crew would be as well provided for after their achievement by Dr. Marshall alone.” With all resolved to do their part Decatur and his selected crew set about their mission.

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From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Heermann (DD-532)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.