He was born on August 15, 1761 at Falmouth, now Portland, Maine, United States. He was the fourth child and third son of Gen. Jedidiah Preble, an officer of the Revolution, his great-grandfather, Abraham Preble, having settled in Scituate, Massachussets, about 1636. His mother, Mehitable (Bangs) Roberts, was the second wife of General Preble.
Education
Edward was educated at Dummer Academy, Newbury, Massachussets.
Career
At the age of sixteen he ran away to sea on a privateer of Newburyport, and in 1779 was appointed a midshipman on the frigate Protector of the Massachusetts navy. This ship fought two severe actions with the British ships Admiral Duff and Thames. In 1781 she was captured and Preble was confined for a time on the prison-ship Jersey. In 1782 he was a lieutenant under Captain George Little on the Massachusetts cruiser Winthrop, which succeeded in taking five prizes during a short cruise.
After the Revolution he spent fifteen years in the merchant service and visited many parts of the world, being once captured by pirates. Upon the opening of hostilities with France in 1798, he was appointed a lieutenant in the newly reorganized navy and was given command of the brig Pickering in the squadron of Commodore John Barry in the West Indies.
He received a commission as captain on May 15, 1799, and was ordered to the new frigate Essex. The frigate Congress and the Essex set sail with a convoy of merchantmen for the East Indies in January 1800, but six days out the Congress was dismasted in a gale and the Essex proceeded alone. She was the first American warship to show the flag beyond the Cape of Good Hope. After cruising for two months about the Straits of Sunda, rendering important service in protecting American trade from French privateers, the Essex sailed for home with a convoy of fourteen vessels, arriving at New York in November.
In 1803 Preble was put in command of the third squadron to be sent to the Mediterranean. His flagship was the Constitution and the squadron included six other vessels. After adjusting a difficulty with Morocco in November, Preble sailed east. Meanwhile, the blockade of Tripoli had been proclaimed by the commodore and was maintained, as well as circumstances permitted, by the squadron, which was also employed in cruising and in preparing for an attack upon the town. The first assault on Tripoli was made on August 3, 1804. The Americans were victorious at sea, three of the enemy's gunboats being captured and three sunk. Four subsequent attacks were made, two of them at night, with great loss to the enemy, but Tripoli was not captured.
On the night of September 4, the Intrepid, with 15, 000 pounds of powder on board and commanded by Richard Somers, was sent into the harbor to be exploded in the midst of the Tripolitan fleet, but for some reason never explained, the explosion was premature and all hands perished. Preble's total loss during the summer, including the crew of the Intrepid, was thirty killed and twenty-four wounded. Soon after this a larger and more powerful squadron appeared under the command of Commodore Samuel Barron and Preble was superseded. This was a most unfortunate and seemingly avoidable circumstance and Preble was bitterly disappointed in not being able to carry through his plans for the capture of Tripoli, which he could probably have accomplished with a heavier force.
After his return home Preble was employed in building gunboats for the navy. His health, which had long been declining, broke completely and he died at Portland at the early age of forty-six.
Achievements
Personality
He was a tall man and of distinguished appearance. A hot temper and ill health increased a natural irascibility. His discipline was severe but was imposed upon himself as well as others. He was impartial in his judgments and free from prejudice, and justly earned the respect and admiration of his officers in spite of his rough exterior. He in turn acquired a real affection for them and during his command in the Mediterranean there was neither a court martial nor a duel. His squadron was a training school for many of the young officers who later distinguished themselves in the struggle with the British navy during the War of 1812.
Connections
He married Mary Deering, daughter of Nathaniel Deering of Portland, on March 17, 1801, and they had one son.