Edward Preble (August 15, 1761 – August 25, 1807) was a
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
naval officer who served with great distinction during the
1st Barbary War, leading American attacks on the city of
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
and forming the officer corps that would later lead the
U.S. Navy in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
.
Early life
![Coat of Arms of Edward Preble](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Coat_of_Arms_of_Edward_Preble.svg)
Preble was born at Falmouth, Eastern Massachusetts, now
Portland, Maine, on August 15, 1761. He was the son of General
Jedidiah Preble (1707–1784) and his second wife, Mehitable Roberts (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Bangs) Preble (1728–1805).
He received his early education in Falmouth and later attended
Dummer School in
Byfield, Massachusetts
Byfield is a village (also referred to as a "parish") in the town of Newbury, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It borders West Newbury, Georgetown, and Rowley. It is located about 30 miles north-northeast of Boston, along Int ...
.
As a boy, his home was destroyed in the
burning of Falmouth by British Naval Commander
Henry Mowat
Henry Mowat (1734–1798) was an officer of the Royal Navy commanding ships in northern New England during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Captain Patrick Mowat of the post ship HMS ''Dolphin''. He was born in Scotland and we ...
. It is said that this action compelled Preble to join the Navy. It also contributed to his terrible temper later in life.
Career
In 1779, he was appointed to the
Massachusetts State Navy, becoming an officer in the 26-gun ship ''Protector''. Becoming a
British prisoner when that ship was captured in 1781, he was held for a time in the infamous prison ship . On his release, he served in the Massachusetts Navy sloop ''Winthrop'' and led a boarding party to cut out a British
brig
A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...
at
Castine, Maine.
At the opening of this action, ''Winthrop'' passed by the enemy ship so quickly that only Preble and 14 of his 45-man boarding party managed to get aboard. As ''Winthrop'' came back around to make another pass, ''Winthrops captain, George Little, asked Preble if he wanted more men. Preble, realizing that he would lose the element of surprise if he disclosed his far weaker position, coolly replied, "No. We have more than we want. We stand in each others' way!" Going below with pistols in hand, he caught a portion of the crew still in their hammocks. Preble then announced that all were prisoners and that any resistance would be in vain. As British soldiers on shore began firing, Preble worked his prize out to sea while the ''Winthrop'' turned to deliver a broadside in reply before making her escape.
United States Navy service
Fifteen years of merchant service followed his Revolutionary War career and, in April 1798, he was commissioned as a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
in the United States Navy. In January 1799, he assumed command of the 14-gun brig and took her to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
to protect American commerce during the
Quasi-War with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Commissioned as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in June 1799, he took command of the 32-gun frigate in December and sailed from
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
in January 1800 for the Pacific to convoy home a group of East Indiamen.
Upon his return, Preble announced to the Secretary of the Navy that he intended to retire from the Navy due to his health. Not wanting to lose such an experienced and capable officer, the secretary decided to put Preble on indefinite sick leave until a good post could be found for him.
During this time, the United States was engaged in naval warfare with the city-state of Tripoli, whose corsairs were causing havoc amongst American merchantmen in the Mediterranean. The U.S. Navy had sent squadrons under two commanders,
Richard Dale
Richard Dale (November 6, 1756 – February 26, 1826) was an American naval officer who fought in the Continental Navy under John Barry and was first lieutenant for John Paul Jones during the naval battle off of Flamborough Head, England against ...
and
Richard Valentine Morris
Richard Valentine Morris (March 8, 1768 – May 13, 1815) was a United States Navy officer and politician.
Early life
He was born on March 8, 1768, in Morrisania, then a town in Westchester County, which became in 1898 a neighborhood in the boro ...
, to protect American interests in the region. While Dale ran an effective blockade of
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, the endless routine bored his officers. Upon his return, Dale left the Navy over a promotion dispute. The tenure of Richard Valentine Morris, on the other hand, was an utter fiasco, as Morris was neither an effective commander nor a very smart one. Morris spent most of his time socializing in Gibraltar and Malta, and he managed to be taken hostage by the Bey of Tunis, who felt that the American did not give him an adequate farewell (the ransom was paid by the American and Danish consuls). When he finally did arrive at Tripoli, he tried to play diplomat and sue for peace, which destabilized the strong negotiating position the Americans had been building up to that point. When Morris returned home, he was stripped of his commission by President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
without so much as a court-martial.
With Morris ordered home, President Jefferson needed a new officer to command the Mediterranean Squadron. Bypassing several senior officers, Preble was asked to travel to Boston and ready for duty in the Mediterranean. He accepted, and was given a promotion to commodore along with his new ship. He sailed on August 14, 1803.
To the Mediterranean
On September 10, ''Constitution'' was approaching
Cadiz on a black, moonless night. Suddenly, the dim silhouette of a warship loomed out of the darkness close aboard. Preble immediately ordered ''Constitution'' cleared for action. Preble hailed her, only to receive a hail in return. He identified his ship as the United States frigate ''Constitution'' but received an evasive answer from the other ship. Preble replied: "I am now going to hail you for the last time. If a proper answer is not returned, I will fire a shot into you." The stranger returned, "If you give me a shot, I'll give you a broadside." Preble demanded that the other ship identify herself and the stranger replied, "This is His Britannic Majesty's Ship ''
Donegal Donegal may refer to:
County Donegal, Ireland
* County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster
* Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland
* Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...
'', 84 guns,
Sir Richard Strachan, an English commodore." He then commanded Preble, "Send your boat on board." Preble was now devoid of all patience and exclaimed, "This is United States Ship ''Constitution'', 44 guns, Edward Preble, an American commodore, who will be damned before he sends his boat on board of any vessel." And then to his gun crews: "Blow your matches, boys!" Before the incident escalated further, however, a boat arrived from the other ship and a British lieutenant relayed his captain's apologies. The ship was in fact not ''Donegal'' but instead , a 32-gun frigate. ''Constitution'' had come alongside her so quietly that ''Maidstone'' had delayed answering with the proper hail while she readied her guns.
[Toll (2006), p. 180.] This act began the strong allegiance between Preble and the officers under his command, known as "Preble's boys", as he had shown that he was willing to defy a presumed ship of the line.
[Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, pp. 241–242.][Allen (1905), p. 142.]
Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor
![PhiladelphiaAground](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/PhiladelphiaAground.jpg)
After signing a peace treaty with
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, Preble established a blockade off
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
.
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unite ...
,
William Bainbridge,
Charles Stewart,
Isaac Hull
Isaac Hull (March 9, 1773 – February 13, 1843) was a Commodore in the United States Navy. He commanded several famous U.S. naval warships including ("Old Ironsides") and saw service in the undeclared naval Quasi War with the revolutionary Fre ...
,
Thomas Macdonough,
James Lawrence, and
David Porter served under his command at Tripoli.
While commanding in Tripoli, Preble masterminded the burning of by Lieutenant Stephen Decatur on February 16, 1804, preventing the captured frigate from falling into enemy hands. Had Tripoli gained the use of ''Philadelphia'', the entire blockade would have been wasted.
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unite ...
and his younger brother, James Decatur, led the actual operation.
James Decatur was killed in the fighting later that year aboard one of the squadron's attack craft.
Over the course of his career, Preble helped establish many of the modern Navy's rules and regulations. Described as a stern taskmaster, he kept high discipline upon the ships under his command. He also dictated that his ships be kept in a state of readiness for any action while under sail, something many US naval officers at the time did not insist upon. Future sea captains such as Decatur, Lawrence, and Porter took his procedures to heart at a time when the US Navy was highly unregulated. Many of Preble's procedures became doctrine after the establishment of an official US Navy. The officers serving under him during his career also went on to become influential in the Navy Department after his death, and together they proudly wore the unofficial title of "Preble's Boys". (When Preble took over command he discovered that his oldest officer was 30 and the youngest 15 years old. He therefore grumbled the
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
had given him "just a pack of schoolboys".)
Preble's Mediterranean cruise led directly to the US government's firm anti-negotiation stance. Many Mediterranean states, including Tripoli, had been pirating American shipping vessels, ransoming the sailors, and demanding tribute to prevent future pirate attacks. The tribute rose after each successful payment, as did the brutality and boldness of the attacks.
Later career
In September 1804, Commodore Preble requested relief due to a longtime illness. He returned to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in February 1805 and became engaged in the comparably light duty of shipbuilding activities at
Portland, Maine. By congressional resolution in March 1805, a
gold medal was struck and presented to Commodore Preble for the "gallantry and good conduct" of himself and his squadron at Tripoli. President Jefferson offered him the Navy Department in 1806, but Preble declined appointment due to his poor health.
Preble died in Portland of a gastrointestinal illness on August 25, 1807. He is buried in
Eastern Cemetery
Eastern Cemetery is a historic cemetery at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Congress Street in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, Maine. Established in 1668, it is the city's oldest historic site, and has more than 4,000 marked ...
in Portland, Maine.
Personal life
On March 17, 1801, Preble was married to Mary Deering (1770–1851) in Portland, Maine. Mary was a daughter of Nathaniel Deering and Dorcas (née Milk) Deering. Together, they were the parents of one child:
* Edward Deering Preble (1806–1846), who married Sophia Elizabeth Wattles (1813–1889) in 1833.
Legacy
* Six ships of the United States Navy named
* Preble Hall, the museum at the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
*
Preble County
Preble County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 40,999, down 3.0% from the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census population of 42,270. Its ...
in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
*
Fort Preble
Fort Preble was a military fort in South Portland, Maine, United States, built in 1808 and progressively added to through 1906. The fort was active during all major wars from the War of 1812 through World War II. The fort was deactivated in 1950. ...
at Spring Point in
South Portland, Maine
*
Preble Street in
Portland, Maine
*
Preble Street in
South Portland, Maine
*
Preble Street in
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerto ...
* Preble Ave. in
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma C ...
*
Preble Township, Minnesota
*
Town of Preble, Cortland County, NY
*
Preble, Wisconsin Preble was a town in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States from 1859 to 1964. It ceased to exist as a jurisdiction in 1964, when by referendum it consolidated with the city of Green Bay.
Origin of town name
The town's name may originate from Com ...
, a former
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in Wisconsin, now part of the city of
Green Bay
*
Preble High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin
In popular culture
*Preble appears as a character in the science fiction novel ''Time for Patriots'', , performing much as he did historically.
*In the 1926 silent film ''
Old Ironsides'', Preble was portrayed by actor
Charles Hill Mailes.
*Preble appears as a character in the James L. Haley historical fiction novel "The Shores of Tripoli", .
Preble appears In "With Preble at Tripoli : a story of "Old Ironsides" and the Tripolitan war" Pub 1900, Author: James Otis, Publisher: Boston; Chicago : W.A. Wilde Co. Youth Fiction(
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCL ...
)
*The ''Constitution'' under Preble's command makes a very brief appearance in
C. S. Forester
Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare, such as the 12-book Horatio Hornblower series depicting a Roya ...
's novel ''
Hornblower and the Hotspur
''Hornblower and the Hotspur'' (published 1962) is a Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester.
It is the third book in the series chronologically, but the tenth by order of publication, and serves as the basis for one of the episodes o ...
''.
References
;Notes
;Sources
Further reading
*
Preble, George Henry. ''A genealogical Sketch of the First Three Generations of Prebles in America''. Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1868
Excerpt pp. 162–180.
* Pratt, Fletcher. ''Preble's Boys: Commodore Preble and the Birth of American Sea Power''. New York: William Sloane, 1950.
* Gruppe, Henry. ''The Frigates''. Time-Life books, 1979
* McKee, Christopher. ''Edward Preble: A Naval Biography 1761-1807''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1972.
* London, Joshua E. ''Victory in Tripoli: How America's How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a Nation''. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
* White, William H. ''The Greater The Honor''. Tiller Publishing, 2003.
* Berube, Claude and Rodgaard, John. ''A Call to the Sea: Captain Charles Stewart of the USS Constitution''. Hamden Virginia: Potomac Books, Inc., 2006.
External links
*
VictoryInTripoli.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preble, Edward
1761 births
1807 deaths
American military personnel of the First Barbary War
American people of English descent
Continental Navy officers
United States Navy commodores
American military personnel of the Quasi-War
Congressional Gold Medal recipients
Military personnel from Portland, Maine
Tylden family
Burials at Eastern Cemetery
People of colonial Maine
The Governor's Academy alumni