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Through his father's influence he obtained a midshipman's warrant in the service of the Massachusetts Marine and joined the ship Protector, under John Foster Williams, in 1779. His first action was with the British letter-of-marque, Admiral Duff. After a conflict of about an hour and a half the latter vessel took fire and blew up. A second cruise in the same ship proved more unfortunate, for the Protector was captured in the fall of 1780 by the British frigate Roebuck, and Preble was taken to New York and confined on board the notorious prison-hulk "Jersey" for nearly a year. He was finally released through the intervention of a Tory, an old comrade of his father's in the French war, and soon afterward he joined another Massachusetts privateer of which he was made first lieutenant.

After the close of the war he entered the merchant marine in which he continued with varying fortune for fifteen years. During this period of his life he visited many foreign countries, becoming familiar with the customs of some of them through a temporary residence as a mercantile agent. He accumulated no great fortune, however, and on one occasion suffered a severe loss through the capture of his vessel by a French pirate.

In the year 1799 Edward Preble entered the United States Navy as a first-lieutenant, and was assigned to the command of the revenue cutter Pickering. Not long afterward he was raised to the rank of captain and given charge of the new frigate Essex, in which he sailed in January, 1800, on a cruise to the East Indies. He had the honor of displaying the American flag, for the first time from a man-of-war, on the Indian Ocean. He returned from this cruise with a constitution undermined by the ravages of a fever which he had contracted, and he was never afterward fully restored to health. He was forced to take a furlough, and during this interval he was married to Mary Deering, of Portland. In 1802 he was again ordered to sea, but was excused on account of continued ill-health, the secretary of the Navy declining to receive his resignation.

May 14, 1803, he was assigned to the frigate Constitution, and soon after put in command of a squadron. His destination was the Mediterranean where he was to act against the Barbary States in the north of Africa, and especially against Tripoli. His squadron was the third which had been fitted out by the United States on this service within three years. He sailed from Boston in August and joined the remainder of his fleet at Gibraltar, September 12. He deemed it expedient to first make a visit to Morocco, and there he had an interview with the emperor. Some piratical Moorish cruisers had been making seizures of American merchantmen, but the emperor, seeing he had a determined man to deal with, hastened to disavow the acts of his lawless subjects and promised that the business should stop; furthermore renewing the treaty which had been made by his father with the United States in 1786.

Having thus compelled the Moors to respect his flag, he began operations against Tripoli as soon as possible by instituting a blockade of the port. He met at the outset with a discouraging disaster. Captain Bainbridge, while pursuing one of the enemy's cruisers, had the misfortune to run his ship, the Philadelphia, on the rocks where she was captured by the Tripolitans, and Preble was thus left with only one frigate, his flagship Constitution.

Many months were now consumed in making preparations for an attack upon the strongly-defended city. During this interval occurred the brilliant exploit of Lieutenant Decatur, who recaptured and burned the Philadelphia. Preble succeeded in communicating with Bainbridge, and sent him money and provisions for himself and his fellow captives in Tripoli. He also attempted to negotiate with the Bashaw, but as that mighty potentate demanded an exorbitant tribute, the conferences came to nothing. At length having been forced through the parsimony of his government to obtain a loan of gunboats and ammunition from the King of Naples, he decided, although his force was yet inadequate, to attack the city.

Between the third and the twenty-eighth of August, 1804, four attacks were made. The American force consisted of Preble's flagship, three brigs, three schooners and eight gunboats belonging to the King of Naples. These ships carried in all ten hundred and sixty men. Against them were opposed twenty-five thousand Arabs and Turks behind strong walls, protected by one hundred and fifteen heavy guns. Besides this there were twelve shore batteries and a strong force of gunboats. The first action began at three in the afternoon and lasted till sundown, when the fleet retired owing to the threatening aspect of the weather. The Constitution had shelled the city inflicting great damage, while Decatur had attacked the shipping. Three of the enemy's gunboats were captured and three more sunk. Preble was the last to leave the harbor, covering the retiring fleet with the guns of the Constitution. Four days later another attack was made. This time the gunboats did all the fighting, shelling the city and silencing six of the enemy's guns. Preble lost one gunboat which blew up. During this day's battle the frigate John Adams arrived, not, however, in a condition to afford Preble much aid; but she brought him the unwelcome news that he was to be superseded by Commodore Samuel Barron. Although mortified to think that he should lose the opportunity of receiving the Bashaw's submission after such heroic efforts, yet he determined to continue in the discharge of his duty as became a patriotic officer until his successor should arrive. A gale now compelled the fleet to seek shelter until the 24th, when a midnight attack was made without any important result. August 28th a general fire was opened on the city, and the guns of the castle and two of the batteries were silenced.

The final attack while Preble held command of the fleet was made on the 4th of September. The Intrepid was loaded with a hundred barrels of gunpowder and a large number of shells, besides quantities of solid shot and scrap iron. She was towed toward the enemy's vessels by two boats. The design was to fire the vessel and then escape, leaving her to explode and destroy the shipping. Unfortunately, although the night was very dark, she was observed from the shore and fired upon. Just before she reached an effective position she blew up, and so failed to accomplish her mission. Nothing was ever heard of the crews of the boats, who, undoubtedly, all perished. A monument has been erected in their honor at Washington. Preble surrendered his command to Barron, September 10, 1804. He still remained with the fleet for about four months, visiting several of the Mediterranean cities while closing up his official business. At Naples he was honored with a reception at the court of Ferdinand IV.

Preble returned to America early in 1805, and received a vote of thanks from Congress and a gold medal. His health, which as we have seen had been delicate since his first cruise, now began to fail more rapidly. He was obliged to decline an appointment as Navy agent at Boston, and remained at Portland superintending as long as he was able the construction of gunboats. The capture of the Chesapeake in June, 1807, fired him with a desire to re-engage in active service; but it was too late. He died on the 25th of August, leaving a handsome property to his widow and infant son.

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