THE

POLYANTHOS.

FEBRUARY, 1806.

Ο

MEMOIRS

OF

COMMODORE PREBLE.

WITH A PORTRAIT.

UR publick benefactors, who, at the risk of their lives and dearest enjoyments, have rendered essential services to the nation, are well entitled to the publick gratitude. Their names and their good conduct ought to be had in everlasting remembrance. Under these impressive sentiments, we here present our readers with a sketch of the life of Commodore Preble, accompanied with his portrait.

COMMODORE EDWARD PREBLE was born in August, in the year 1761, in that part of Falmouth, on Casco Bay, which is now Portland, in the state of Massachusetts, and district of Maine. His father was the Hon. Jedidiah Preble, Esq. who was a Brigadier

N... VOL. 1.

General under the government of the Massachusetts Bay, and after the revolution a senator under the present government.

Our young hero, almost from his infancy, discovered a noble and invincible courage, and admirable resolution and perseverance in all his pursuits. Blest with an athletick

constitution, and having no great inclination to sedentary amusement; his hours of leisure from his academical and other early studies were mostly devoted to hunting, and other exercises of the greatest activity.

In

In his youth he became a mariner in the mercantile service, which he successfully followed, during some years after the commencement of the revolutionary war. this war he was once made a prisoner. After his liberation from captivity, his enterprize and vigour were displayed in armed vessels of the state of Massachusetts, with honour and success.

About the year 1779, he entered as a midshipman on board the ship Protector, commanded by Capt. John Forster Williams; with whom he served one or two years, till he was promoted to a lieutenancy on board the sloop of war Winthrop, commanded by Capt. George Little. In this station he performed a very brilliant and heroick action, boarding and capturing, with a few men, a vessel of more than equal force, lying in the harbour of Penobscot ; under a furious cannonade from the battery and an incessant firing from the troops. Af

ter this he continued with Capt. Little, till the peace of 1783.

In the year 1801, he had the command of the United States frigate Essex, in which he performed a voyage to the East-Indies, for the protection of our trade in those seas; and having driven off the cruisers, returned in the following year with a convoy from Batavia under his care, consisting of fifteen ships and other vessels, estimated at the value of four millions of dollars.

In the year 1803, Capt. Preble was honoured with the appointment of Commodore, and with the command of the United States frigate Constitution, with a squadron consisting of seven sail of vessels in all; and before the end of the year made his passage to the Mediterranean Sea.

In the following year, 1804, though he was destined to act in the Mediterranean with his fleet, and particularly designed to subdue or humble the Tripolitan barbarians; yet, on his arrival at Gibraltar, he found that the emperor of Morocco had made war upon the vessels of the United States. This prevented for a time the fleet's progress up the Mediterranean, till the Commodore had taken measures to obtain a peace with that power, on terms honourable to his country, which was happily effected. But after the unfortunate loss of the frigate Philadelphia, he found that his remaining force was by no means equal to the attack of the strong holds of Tripoli, with any rational prospect

of success. Rather than fail, however, in his design, he obtained a number of gunboats of the King of Naples, by which he was the better able to oppose the gun-boats of the enemy. After the burning of the Philadelphia, through the valour of the brave Lieutenant Decatur, under the mouths of the enemy's cannon, he made his first general attack; and all the attacks which he made on the city and fortifications were so little distant in time from each other, and so judiciously conducted, with consummate bravery and alertness; that though the obstinate Bashaw was not induced to surrender, or flee, yet he was induced to make great abatements, from time to time, in his demands for the emancipation of the prisoners whom he then held in durance.

It is thought that one vessel more added to the small fleet would have enabled the Commodore to complete the ruin or capture of the place. Much indeed was done towards compelling the enemy to set at liberty Capt. Bainbridge, with his officers and men ; and towards obtaining a peace on moderate and honourable terms, which has since taken place. The conduct of our prudent and intrepid commander was such, as to do much honour to himself and the flag of the United States, in the view of Europe as well as of America. His conduct has extorted praise from the Bashaw of Tripoli himself: And what affords a peculiar and unexpected honour to this American warriour, though a