Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/426

 PREBLE

PREBLE

and served as actinfj lieutenant, 1843-45. The squadron, of which the St. Louis formoil a part, was intended to support the negotiations of the Hon. Caleb Gushing, and in the midst of negotia- tions Lieutenant Preble was sent to Canton in charge of a party of marines and sailors, to pro- tect the U.S. consulate and the American resi- dents. This was the first armed American force landed in Cliiiia. Upon his return to Norfolk in 1845, he wa.s married, Nov, 18, 1845. to Susan Zabiah, daughter of John and Thankful Harris Gore (Cox) of Portland, Maine. On May 30, 1846, he joined the gunboat Petrel as acting master and executive officer, and engaged in the war witii Mexico, but his health again breaking down he returned home. May 31, 1847. He was pro- moted master in the line of promotion, July 15, 1847; was commissioned lieutenant, Feb. 5, 1848; served in the Gulf, 1848-49, but was obliged to remove entirely from the southern climate. He was attaciied to the steamer Legree of the U.S. coast survey as executive officer, April 30, 1849, and continued on coast survey duty until by his own request he was ordered to the frigate St. Lawreuce, Commander Joshua Sands, which con- veyed the American contributions to the World's Fair of 1851. and which also made an unsuccess- ful search for the remains of John Paul Jones. He served on the Macedonian in the Japan expe- dition under Commodore Perry, 1853. participa- ting in the treaty negotiated at Yokohama, assisting in the surveys of Yeddo and Hakodate bays, and making a chart of the harbor of Kilung. Ui>on the return of the Macedonian to China, Lieutenant Prel)le was given command of the Queen, and engaged in the extermination of the pirates in Chinese waters. He returned to Boston, Mass., Aug. 6. 1856; succeeded Lieut. William B. Franklin. U.S.A., as inspector of the first light- house district. 18.50-57; was on duty at Charles- t<jwn navy yard, 1857-59; was attached to the U.S. steam sloop Narragansett, 1859-61; com- manded the steam gunboat Katahdin, and par- ticipated in the surrender of New Orleans and in all the river operations as far up as Vicksburg. Being ordered to command the steam sloop Oneida. Aug. 4. 1802, he returneil to Baton Rouge and was promoted commander, July 16, 1862, joining the blockading fleet off Mobile bay. On Sept. 4, 1802. while he was in charge of the blockade, a sail was sighted, steam was made and chase was given, after some delay caused by repairs to the boilers. The stranger, the Con- federate sloop Orefo (which had been renamed the Florida), Commander .1. N. Maffitt, sailed into shallow water, where the Oneida could not follow. When Prebh's first disjiatch. announcing that the Florida had successfully run the block- ade and safely entered Mobile harbor, reached

. s.s. pensacola -ia5a.

Washington, he was dismissed from the naval (Service, Sept. 20, 1862, but upon further investi- gation the naval committee unanimously restored him to his old rank. He left New York, April 9, 1863, for Lisbon, Portugal, where he assumed command of the sailing sloop-of-war, St. Louis. He was in command of the fleet brigade, designed to co-opei'ate with General Sherman in his march to the sea, 1864-65; was transferred to the steamer State of Georgia, and was at the Boston navy yard as inspector of supplies, 1865-67; was pro- moted captain by seniority, March 16, 1867 and chief-of -staff to Rear-Admiral Craven in 1868; c o m m a n ded the U.S. flag- s\\\\)Pensacola, 1868-70; was commissioned as commodore, Nov. 2, 1871; was comman- dant at the U.S. navy yard at Philadel- phia, Pa., 1874-75; was promoted rear-admiral, Sept. 30, 1876; commanded the South Pacific squad- ron, 1876-79, and was retired Feb. 25, 1878. After retirement he was ordered as president of the board which recommended rebuilding on modern lines and armament the double-turretted monitor of the ^mjj/iifr/fe class. He was a member and vice-president of the Naval Library and Institute at Charlestown; a member of the Portland Natural History society, 1852-57, and its vice-president 1856-57; a member of the New England His- toric Genealogical society, 1866-85, and a corres- ponding member of the Massachusetts Historical society. He was a member of the American Antiquarian society; the historical societies of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and Wisconsin, and president of the Massachusetts order of the Loyal Legion. He made a collection of naval registers, tracts and other U.S. naval publications of great rarity and value, which were placed in the navy depart- ment at Washington. He is the author of: Chase of the Rebel Steamer of War ' Oreto' (1862); The Preble Family in America (1868); First Cruise of the U.S. Frigate' Essex' (1870); History of the American Flag (1872); and Steam Navigation (18^^3). He (lied in Brookline, Mass., March 1, 1885. PREBLE, William Pitt, jurist, was born at York, ]\Iaine. Nov, 27, 1783; son of Esaias and Lydia (Ingraham) Preble; grandson of Samuel and Sarah (Muchmore) Preble, and of Edward and Lydia (Holt) Ingraham. and a descendant of Abraham and Judith Preble. Abraham Preble emigrated from Kent. England, to Scituate, Mass., about 1637, and .settled in York, Maine, in 1642.