Edward Preble, an American naval officer, born at Falmouth Neck, the site of the present city of Portland, Me., Aug. 15, 1761, died in Portland, Aug. 25, 1807. He sailed in a privateer in 1777, and in 1779 entered the provincial marine of Massachusetts as a midshipman. He was in the action between the Protector and the English privateer General Duff, and was afterward captured and confined on board the prison ship Jersey in the harbor of New York. On being liberated, he joined the Massachusetts vessel of war Winthrop, on which he remained till 1782, distinguishing himself by boarding with 14 men an English armed brig lying off Castine, and carrying her out under the fire of an English battery. After the return of peace he was 15 years in the merchant service. In 1799 he was commissioned a lieutenant in the navy, and took command of the Pickering, one of the squadron stationed at the Windward islands. In June of the same year he was made captain, and appointed to command the Essex, in which he convoyed home from Batavia a fleet of 14 merchant vessels.

In 1803 he received command of the squadron sent against Tripoli, his flag ship being the Constitution. Anchoring at Tangiers with a part of his squadron in October, he opened negotiations by which he averted a war with Morocco. On Nov. 12 he declared the blockade of Tripoli. The Philadelphia, 38 guns, under Capt. Bainbridge, had been run upon the rocks and captured by the Tripoli-tans, but was destroyed at her anchorage in the harbor by Lieut. Decatur (see Decatur, Stephen), Feb. 16, 1804. On July 25 Preble was before Tripoli with 15 sail, including 8 small vessels borrowed of the Neapolitan government. His first attack was made, Aug. 3, upon the enemy's gunboats, protected by batteries on shore. He captured three of the largest by boarding, and sunk three others, and withdrew after a fight of three hours. On the 7th another attack was made, but with less success, as the Tripolitans kept close within the harbor. One of Preble's gunboats was sunk. Another general attack was made on the 28th, when 13 Tripolitan gunboats and galleys were closely engaged with the 8 American boats. One of the Tripolitan boats was sunk and two were driven ashore; the rest retreated. The Constitution lay three quarters of an hour within musket shot of the mole, pouring a destructive fire upon the town batteries.

On Sept. 3 a fourth attack was made. The Tripo-litans had in the mean time raised and added to their flotilla their boats which had been sunk on Aug. 3 and 28. Com. Preble brought to in the Constitution, in a position where 70 heavy guns bore upon his ship. After throwing more than 300 round shot and receiving great damage she hauled off, Preble having before directed the other vessels to do so. The Intrepid, a ketch captured from the enemy, which Lieut. Decatur had used in destroying the Philadelphia, was converted into a fire ship, carrying 100 barrels of gunpowder in bulk, and on the deck immediately above 150 shells, with a large quantity of shot; and on the night of Sept. 4, under command of Capt. Somers and Lieut. Wadsworth, both volunteers, with a volunteer crew, she was taken into the harbor to be exploded by a train. The batteries opening upon her, she exploded prematurely, and none of the adventurers escaped. One of the Tri-politan gunboats was missing, but on the whole a serious loss was sustained by the Americans without any commensurate damage to the enemy.

On Sept. 10 Com. Samuel Barron arrived off Tripoli in the President, and relieved Com. Preble, who soon after sailed in the John Adams for the United States, where he arrived Feb. 26, 1805. He received a gold medal and a vote of thanks from congress. - His nephew, Capt. George Henry Preble, U. S. N., born in Portland, Me., Feb. 25, 1816, served with distinction in Mexican and Chinese waters and during the civil war, and has published " Genealogy of the Preble Family " (8 vo, 1868) and " History of the American Flag " (Albany, 1872).