This book presents a collection of documents related to the claim of Mrs. Decatur, the widow of Stephen Decatur, a U.S. naval officer during the early 19th century. These documents shed light on the legal and political aspects of her claim to receive a pension and other benefits after the death of her husband. Readers interested in naval history, legal history, or women's history will find this book informative and engaging.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.