Ordered to join the Pacific Squadron in 1854, the U.S. Navy warship Decatur served in the Pacific until the eve of the Civil War. Lorraine McConaghy, historian at the Museum of History and Industry, relates some history of the storied ship—which includes a key role in the 'Battle of Seattle' of 1856—in her new book, Warship Under Sail: USS Decatur and the Pacific West (University of Washington Press). "In Warship Under Sail, McConaghy, has found a lens through which to examine anew the founding of Seattle. The vessel participated in the iconic 'Battle of Seattle,' that day-long skirmish during January 1856 between 'Natives' and 'non-Natives' that looms so large in historical accounts of the city." - John M. Findlay.