PREBLE, prebl, Edward, American naval officer: b. Portland, Maine, 15 Aug. 1761; d. there, 25 Aug. 1807. When about 16 he ran away from home and joined a merchantman, on which he went to Europe; on his return in 1779 he entered with his father's approval the Massachusetts State marine as midshipman on the Protector and participated in the attack on the British ship Admiral Duff which was de stroyed. In 1780 he was captured on board the Protector and imprisoned on the prison-ship Jersey in New York Harbor. Upon his release he served on the Winthrop, another Massa chusetts State ship, and with 14 men boarded an armed British brig and took her out of Penobscot Harbor in the face of the enemy's battery. At the conclusion of peace the Massa chusetts navy was disbanded in 1782. For the next 16 years he devoted himself to commercial pursuits and made a number of journeys to various parts of the world. On the organiza tion of the United States navy in 1798 he was one of the first five to be commissioned lieuten ant, and in 1799 was promoted captain in com mand of the Essex with which he convoyed a fleet of 14 valuably laden merchantmen from China. In 1803 he was assigned to the Consti tution and given command of the squadron against the Barbary powers. He arrived at Tangiers in October 1803 and speedily forced from the Sultan of Morocco a renewal of the treaty of 1786. The Philadelphia of his squad
ron was captured while pursuing Tripolitan gunboats and Preble blockaded Tripoli for several months endeavoring to regain or de stroy the ship. In July .1804 he bombarded Tripoli and subsequently conducted six vigorous attacks in which he captured three gunboats and sunk three others. In September the relief squadron under Preble's senior officer, Captain Barron. arrived and Preble returned to the United States early in 1805. The treaty was signed in 1805 without further fighting and Preble received a gold medal and the thanks of Congress. After his return his health showed signs of serious impairment. And, without again assuming active duty, he died after much suffering in his 47th year from consumption. Consult