George Henry Preble: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Fort McHenry flag.jpg|thumb|Preble's 1873 photo of the [[Star Spangled Banner Flag|Ft. McHenry flag]] in the Boston Navy Yard]] |
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'''George Henry Preble''' (25 February 1816 – 1 March 1885) was an [[United States|American]] [[naval officer]] and [[writer]], notable for his history of the [[flag of the United States]] and for taking the first photograph of the [[Fort McHenry]] flag that inspired ''[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]''. |
'''George Henry Preble''' (25 February 1816 – 1 March 1885) was an [[United States|American]] [[naval officer]] and [[writer]], notable for his history of the [[flag of the United States]] and for taking the first photograph of the [[Fort McHenry]] flag that inspired ''[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]''. |
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Revision as of 16:00, 15 June 2011
George Henry Preble | |
|---|---|
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1835–1878 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands | Katahdin Oneida St. Louis State of Georgia Pensacola South Pacific Station |
| Battles / wars | Second Seminole War Mexican–American War American Civil War |
| Relations | Edward Preble (uncle) |
| Other work | Writer of historical and genealogical studies |
George Henry Preble (25 February 1816 – 1 March 1885) was an American naval officer and writer, notable for his history of the flag of the United States and for taking the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner.
Biography
He was born in Portland, Maine into a seafaring family; his father was sea captain Enoch Preble, whose brother was the noted Commodore Edward Preble. George entered the Navy as a midshipman on 10 December 1835, serving on the United States until 1838.
He was in the Florida war in 1841, and was on the St. Louis for its circumnavigation of the world in 1843-1845, taking ashore the first American force to land in China. In the Mexican–American War, he participated in the capture of Alvarado, Veracruz, and Tuxpan. He became master on 15 July 1847, and lieutenant on 5 February 1848. While serving on the frigate St. Lawrence, he went with Matthew C. Perry to Japan in 1853, during which Preble surveyed various harbors in the Far East.
After a period as lighthouse inspector and at Charlestown Navy Yard, he served on the Narragansett, 1859–1861, then took command of the steam-gunboat Katahdin, serving with David Farragut on the Mississippi River, was promoted to commander on 16 July 1862, and given command of the steam-sloop Oneida blockading Mobile Bay.
When the Confederate cruiser CSS Florida eluded him, Preble was dismissed from the Navy, but was reinstated[1] after the captain of the Florida testified that superior speed alone had saved him. Preble then commanded the sailing sloop St. Louis, only to have the Florida escape him once again, off Madeira.
After the war, Preble commanded the steamer State of Georgia, and rescued 600 passengers from the wrecked steamer Golden Rule. He was at the Boston Navy Yard from 1865 to 1868, where he was promoted to captain on 16 March 1867, then commanded the screw steamer Pensacola until 1870. He became commodore on 2 November 1871, commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard from 1873 to 1875, became rear admiral on 30 September 1876 and retired in 1878.
Preble died while living near Boston, Massachusetts, on 1 March 1885.
Writing career
Preble was also known as a writer on naval and historical topics, and as a collector of naval documents. His extensive personal library of books and documents related to the sea are located in The George Henry Preble Collection[2] at the Navy Department Library. He was also active in various learned and genealogical societies of the time. In 1868, he published a genealogical history of the Preble family in America, which included his biography and portrait, as well as that of his famous uncle, Edward[3] The book also set forth a defense of his actions that led to his dismissal from the Navy, as well as the efforts of himself and others that led to his exoneration and reinstatement. In 1872, he published his History of the American Flag, which is still cited as a source. He also took care of the original "Star-Spangled Banner" which had flown over Fort Henry, and had the flag sewn to a piece of sailcloth in order to preserve it.
Publications
- Chase of the Rebel Steamer of War "Oreto" (Cambridge, 1862)
- A genealogical Sketch of the First Three Generations of Prebles in America (Boston, 1868)
- First Cruise of the United States Frigate "Essex" (Salem, 1870)
- History of the American Flag (Albany, 1872)
- History of Steam Navigation (Philadelphia, 1883)
See also
References
- ^ "Abraham Lincoln: Message to the Senate Nominating George Henry Preble to be a Commander in the Navy". presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^ "George Henry Preble Collection". history.navy.mil. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^ "Genealogical Sketch of the First Three Generations of Prebles in America" (PDF). preblefamily.org. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1891). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)- This article incorporates public domain material from The George Henry Preble Collection. Naval History and Heritage Command.