Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/425

 PREBLE

PREBLE

He was married in 1801 to ^Nlary Deering. He was promoted commodore of the Mediterranean squadron in June, 1803, as sviccessor to Commo- dore Rodgers, and hoisted his broad pennant on the frigate Constitution, the squadron includ- "^L i"o' besides

^^ ' — "^ coTsTrru-Vfo/H. theflagship, f^^^ ^ ''^l Cv the Phila-

delphia, Ar- gus, Sy- ren, Vix- en. Nautilus and Enter- ^^~ prise. He entered the r£S^ M e diterra- nean, Sept. 12, 1803, and on Oct. 5, 1803, was joined in the bay of Tangiers by the frigates New York and John Adams, under Commodore Rodgers. The Constitution was accompanied only by the brig Nautilus. On October 10, after giving directions in case of accident or destruction, he went on shore with U.S. Consul Simpson, his secretary, Charles Morris, and two midshipmen, and in an audience with the Em- peror of Morocco, he secured the release of all the captured American vessels and renewed the treaty of 1786. This was the first time the Em- peror had been compelled to respect the Ameri- can republic, and it resulted in the removal of all obstructions to American commerce with the Moors. While Preble was thus engaged, the frigate Philadelphia, Captain Bainbridge, was boarded, and the officers and crew carried on shore and imprisoned in the castle, and when Preble arrived off the place, Dec. 17, 1803, he received letters from her imprisoned commander, Bainbridge, who suggested that the Philadelphia be destroyed. Preble dispatched Decatur and other volunteers on the dangerous expedition, and they boarded and fired the Philadelphia at night, accomplishing her destruction. Preble then formed his squadron in two divisions, with Lieutenant Soiners in command of the first and Captain Decatur of the second, and bombarded the port of Tripoli with the hope of securing the reLMbe of the prisoners. The first attack was made, Aug. 3, 1804, after which the bashaw offered terms of peace which Preble rejected. On Aug. 7, a second attack was made, after which the terms for ransom for the prisoners were lowered from $1,000 to $500, which Preble also declined. He offered, however, the sum of $80,000, and $10,000 in presents, on the condition that the bashaw would enter into a perpetual treaty with the American government never again to demand tribute as the price of peace. This the bashaw refused. A third attack was made, Aug. 27, with such effect as to induce the

bashaw to renew negotiations for peace, but nothing definite was effected. A fourth attack, Sept. 3, resulted in the great injury of the ba- shaw's batteries, castle and city. In the even- ing of September 4, the ketch Intrepid, converted into a fire ship and commanded by Captain Somers, was sent into the midst of the enemy's gallej's and gunboats to complete their destruc- tion, but the adventure ended in death to all the Americans engaged in the expedition. It is sup- posed that the Intrepid was blown up by her commander to prevent her capture by the enemy. On Sept. 9, 1804, Commodore Preble was relieved by Commodore Barron, who followed out the plans of his predecessor and received the prison- ers, while Commodore Preble returned to the United States. His health was greatly broken, and rapidly declined after reaching his home. Congress voted him the thanks of the nation and an appropriate gold medal presented at the hands

of President Jefferson. He arranged the naval system for the marine force of the United States and refused the portfolio of the navy in Presi- dent Jefferson's cabinet in 1806. He died at Portland, Maine, Aug. 25. 1807.

PREBLE, George Henry, naval officer, was born in Portland, Maine, Feb. 25, 1816; son of Capt. Enoch and Sally (Cross) Preble, and great^- gi'andson of Abraham Preble, who came from Kent, England, in 1636, and whose grandson Jedediah commanded the Massachusetts troops at Louisbourg; was with "Wolfe at the siege of Quebec, and left five sons by his second marriage: Ebenezer, Joshua, Enoch, Henry and Edward. George Henry Preble attended the public schools of Portland, and was employed in a book store and in his father's West India and grocery house, 1829-35. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, Oct. 10, 1835; was warranted a passed midshipman, June 22, 1841, and served in the Florida expedition under Lieut. -Com. J. S. Mc- Laughlin as acting lieutenant and navigating officer on board the schooner Madison and the brigantine Jefferson, also participating in several canoe expeditions into the Everglades. The ex- posure of the service so crippled him that he was compelled to return to Norfolk in 1842. He was promoted acting master of the sloop of war St. Louis, sailed for the East Indies, May 23, 1843,