#edward preble

[preblesboys]

On the evening of September 10th when the USS Constitution was approaching Cadiz, an unidentified sail was sighted in the darkness. Commodore Edward Preble hailed the stranger multiple times with a silent response. It wasn’t until when he threaten to fire a shot did the stranger reply that they would return a broadside.

After the final hailing exchange, the Englishman sent a boat and revealed she was only the 32 gun frigate Maidstone with commander George Elliot. When captain Elliot realized his ship was so close to the USS Constitution, he only had moments to have his men to quarters hence the silence after Preble hailing him. The crew of Constitution initially did not like Edward Preble and his violent temperament but when they saw their commander was willing to go into action against an alleged enemy twice their size, they had new found respect for the old man. The two previous commodores turned out to be disappointments so there was potential in this third who would lead them through the first Barbary War.

[rosemeriwether]

Edward Preble

I forgot (more like didn’t know) his birthday was yesterday August 15th. The educator and mentor of heroes of the naval battles during the War of 1812.

The museum of the Naval Academy in Annapolis is within the building named for the Commodore. It was during the first war with Tripoli did Stephen Decatur gain recognition by leading a band of volunteers to burn the frigate Philadelphia under Commodore Preble’s orders after it’s capture by Barbary pirates. Even Lord Nelson called it “The most bold and daring act of the age.”

[preblesboys]

Mariner’s Museum Newport News Pt. 3

The makings of a “Preble’s Boy”.

[preblesboys]

I will also point out that being Preble’s most trusted officer meant doing the incredibly boring task of patrolling the blockade while Stephen Decatur was able to distinguish himself thus be promoted to captain.

Isaac Hull was able to do the one thing William Bainbridge couldn’t do and that was follow simple orders.

[preblesboys]

ONCE AGAIN I MISSED EDWARD PREBLE’S BIRTHDAY! 🤦🏾‍♀️

Sir, we’ll get it eventually.

[preblesboys]

“Hear me out”

After news the USS Philadelphia was captured by the Tripolitans because it got stuck on uncharted reefs reached Washington, Jefferson’s cabinet immediately began discussing what to do to get the crew free from captivity.

Enter William Eaton who was the former consul to Tunis. He had this bright idea of going to Egypt to find Yusuf Karamanli’s older brother Hamet who was in exile. Yusuf Karamanli the current ruler of Tripoli murdered his oldest brother Hassan and Hamet the middle brother fearful, ran for his life. The idea was once Hamet was back on the throne, the United States and Tripoli would be able to negotiate favorable terms to release the crew of USS Philadelphia and cease paying tribute (bribes) to Tripoli to not attack American vessels. Knowing how ruthless Yusuf could be, Thomas Jefferson and his secretary of the navy Robert Smith were reluctant to back Eaton’s plan.

Once the American consul general who was in Algiers heard of Eaton’s plan, he believed it was doomed from the start. William Bainbridge who was one of the captives Eaton was trying to get released also believed Eaton would fail this endeavor. Like bro, you’re the reason why situation is a thing in the first place!

Anyway, so Eaton found Hamet in Egypt and after the 5-600 march through the Libyan Desert along the “Shores of Tripoli” starting March 6, 1805 and making it to Derna on April 24th, the Battle of Derna happened. Despite many people such as Jefferson’s Administration, Congress, Tobias Lear, William Bainbridge and commodore Samuel Barron not believing in Eaton at least Edward Preble did. He couldn’t do much since he was sent back to the United States but Preble supported Eaton 💯.

[preblesboys]

The polar bear from Portland Maine

The big man himself is about to make an appearance. It wasn’t like I dedicated a whole blog to him and his boys and for some reason never got around to drawing him until now….

[preblesboys]

The Edward Preble biography is making me refer back to all the previous biographies I’ve read about Preble’s Boys. Cross referencing with the Big Daddy himself and that’s a lot of cross referencing.

There’s so much information to unpack and explains why I need a whiteboard to explore the events of the Quasi War to the First Barbary War. War of 1812 to say…….the Mexican War which was the final war for the PB generation with the exception of Charles Stewart who lived to the American Civil War is a beast of its own.

Edward Preble’s biography is especially a heavy read because he was a major component designing the gunboats in Jefferson’s navy. Preble is practically center of Jefferson’s naval policy and I did mention before would have been secretary of the navy had he not succumb to his illness that he caught on his cruise to the East Indies.

This is a lot of work.