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in the army better qualified than yourself, for the station I have assigned you."

The grand object for which the Americans had taken up arms, having been accomplished by the peace of 1783, and the army being disbanded, Colonel Porter retired to private life. The trustees of the University of Pennsylvania tendered to him the Professorship of Mathematics in that institution, which he declined. He was subsequently appointed by the supreme executive Council of the state, a commissioner for running by astronomical observations, the lines between Pennsylvania and Virginia; Pennsylvania and what is now Ohio; and Pennsylvania and New York. In this business he was engaged during the years 1784, 5, 6, and '7, in company with Dr. Rittenhouse, Bishop Madison, Dr. Ewing, General Clinton, and other gentlemen of science. He shortly after retired to his farm, in Norriton township, Montgomery county, within a few miles of the place of his nativity, on which he continued to reside until the spring of 1809. In the year 1800, he was appointed, in conjunction with Generals Irvine and Boude, to settle the controversies of the Pennsylvania claimants in the seventeen townships, in the county of Luzerne, but resigned the situation the next spring. In the same year he was appointed Brigadier General of the first brigade, second division of Pennsylvania Militia ; and shortly after, on the removal of General Peter Muhlenberg to Philadelphia, he was made Major General of the division.

In the month of April, 1809, the late excellent and lamented governor Snyder, selected him to fill the office of Surveyor General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which situation he held until his decease, which took place on the 16th of November, 1813. The present lucid arrangement of that of fice was effected by him. He found it in much disorder, remodelled it, and made order and harmony out of chaos and confusion.

During the years 1812 and 1813, he declined the situations of brigadier general in the army, and secretary at war of the United States, both which were offered to him by president Madison, believing that his advanced age would prevent the execution of the duties of either situation with that efficiency which the public good and his own character required.

He died, universally lamented, at the advanced age of seventy years and upwards, and was buried at Harrisburg with military honours, in the Presbyterian burial ground at that place, where a neat white marble monument designates the depository of his remains.

General Porter was twice married; first in 1767, and se condly in 1777, his first wife having died in the year 1775.

He left to survive him his second wife, and ten children; six sons and four daughters. In stature he was rather above the middle size, athletic, and rather inclined to corpulency. His long service in the army, gave him a military air and digni ty, which he carried with him throughout life. He was gentlemanly and courteous in his intercourse with society: but premeditated injury could rouse instantly all the appalling energy of his character. In his politics he was decidedly republican; in his morals, pure; and in his friendships, warm and sincere.

PREBLE, EDWARD, commodore in the American navy, was born August 15, 1761, in Portland, Massachusetts. From early childhood he discovered a strong disposition for hazards and adventures, and a firm, resolute, and persevering temper. In his youth he became a mariner on board a merchant vessel.

In the year 1779, he became a midshipman in the state ship Protector, of twenty-six guns, commanded by that brave officer, John Forster Williams, who has always spoken with emphasis of the courage and good conduct of Mr. Preble, while in his ship.

On the first cruise of the Protector, she engaged, off Newfoundland, the letter of marque Admiral Duff, of 36 guns. It was a short but hard fought action. These vessels were constantly very near and much of the time along side, so that balls were thrown from one to the other by hand. The Duff struck, but taking fire about the same time, she in a few minutes blew up. Between thirty and forty of her people were saved and taken on board the Protector, where a malignant fever soon spread and carried off two thirds of captain Williams's crew. He returned to an eastern port, and landing his prisoners and recruiting his men, sailed on a second cruise. Falling in with a British sloop of war and frigate, the Protector was captured. The principal officers were taken to England, but Preble, by the interest of a friend of his father, colonel William Tyng, obtained his release at New-York and returned to his friends.

He then entered as first lieutenant on board the sloop of war Winthrop, captain George Little, who had been captain Williams's second in command in the Protector, had scaled the walls of his prison at Plymouth, and with one other person escaping in a wherry to France, took passage thence to Bos

ton.

One of Mr. Preble's exploits, while in this station, has been often mentioned as an instance of daring courage and cool intrepidity not less than of good fortune. He boarded and cut out an English armed brig of superior force to the Winthrop

lying in Penobscot harbour, under circumstances which justly gave the action great eclat. Little had taken the brig's tender, from whom he gained such information of the situation of the brig, as made him resolve to attempt seizing on her by surprise. He run her along side in the night, having prepared forty men to jump into her dressed in white frocks, to enable them to distinguish friend from foe. Coming close upon her he was hailed by the enemy, who, as was said, supposed the Winthrop must be her tender, and who cried out, "you will run aboard." He answered, "I am coming aboard," and immediately Preble, with fourteen men, sprung into the brig. The motion of the vessel was so rapid that the rest of the forty destined for boarding missed their opportunity. Little called to his lieutenant "will you not have more men?" "No," he answered with great presence of mind and a loud voice; "we have more than we want; we stand in each other's way." Those of the enemy's crew who were on deck chiefly leaped over the side, and others below from the cabin window and swam to the shore, which was within pistol shot. Preble instantly entering the cabin, found the officers in bed or just rising he assured them they were his prisoners and that resistance was vain, and if attempted, would be fatal to them. Believing they were surprised and mastered by superior numbers, they forbore any attempt to rescue the vessel and submitted. The troops of the enemy marched down to the shore. and commenced a brisk firing with muskets, and the battery opened a canonade, which, however, was too high to take ef fect. In the mean time the captors beat their prize out of the harbour, exposed for a considerable space to volleys of musketry, and took her in triumph to Boston.

Lieutenant Preble continued in the Winthrop till the peace of 1783.

In 1801, he had the command of the frigate Essex, in which he performed a voyage to the East Indies, for the protection of our trade. In 1804, he was appointed commodore, with a squadron of seven sail, and he soon made his passage to the Mediterranean with the design of humbling the Tripolitan barbarians. He, with commodore Rodgers, (who commodore Preble succeeded) and captain Bainbridge, took such measures with regard to the emperor of Morocco, as led to a peace. The commodore in giving an account to his government of his proceedings, observed, "In the whole of this business I have advised with colonel Lear, Mr. Simpson, and commodore Rodgers. I am confident we have all been actuated by the same motive, the good of our country."

Commodore Preble having nothing at present to fear from Morocco, directed his principal attention to Tripoli. He or

dered the frigate Philadelphia, captain Bainbridge, and the schooner Vixen, to the coast of Tripoli, and formally declared the blockade of that place, and sent notice of the fact to the respective neutral powers. On the 31st of October, the Philadelphia frigate, after pursuing a Tripolitan corsair till she came to seven fathoms water, in beating off she ran on a rock, not laid down in any chart, about four and a half miles from the town. Every exertion to get her off, proved ineffectual. Meanwhile she was attacked by numerous gun-boats, which she withstood for four hours, whilst the careening of the ship made the guns fotally useless. A reinforcement coming off, and no possible means of resisting them appearing, the captain submitted to the horrid necessity of striking to his barbarous enemy. They took possession of the ship, and made prisoners of the officers and men, in number three hundred, with robbery, violence, and insult. In forty-eight hours, the wind blowing in shore, the Tripolitans were able to get off the frigate, and having raised her guns, towed her into the harbor of Tripoli. The commodore apprehended the worst from this diminution of his force; a war with Tunis, and perhaps with Algiers; at least, a protraction of the present war. He now procured a number of gun-boats from the king of Naples, and proceeded to the attack of Tripoli.

February 3rd, 1804, lieutenant Stephen Decatur, with seventy volunteers in the Intrepid, and accompanied by the Syren, sailed for Tripoli, with a view to destroy, as they could not in any event expect to bring out, the frigate Philadelphia. On the 16th, the service was accomplished in the most gallant manner. Lieutenant Decatur entered the harbour of Tripoli in the night; and laying his vessel along side the frigate, boarded and carried her against all opposition. A large number of men were on board, of whom twenty or thirty were slain, and the remainder driven over the side, excepting one boat's crew, which escaped to the shore, and one person made prisoner. The assailants then set fire to her, and left her. She was soon in a complete blaze, and was totally consumed. The frigate lay within half gun shot of the castle and the principal battery, with her guns mounted and loaded, and two corsairs full of men, were riding very near. We had none killed, and only one wounded.

From this time till the bombardment of Tripoli, the commodore was occupied in cruising and keeping up the blockade of the Tripoline harbour. In August the American squadron and gunboats attacked the shipping and batteries, and a desperate conflict ensued, which resulted gloriously for the American arms. Such was the consternation of the Turks, that the Bashaw retreated, it is said, with his priest, to his

bomb proof room. Many of the guns of the forts were dismounted, and the town considerably damaged. In September, commodore Preble obtained leave to return home. The officers of the squadron joined in an address to their late commander, containing the strongest expressions of attachment and respect. The congress of the United States voted the thanks of the nation and an emblematical medal, which were presented by the president with emphatic declarations of esteem and admiration.

When the commodore returned he was received and treated every where with distinguished attention. His countrymen

showed that they were proud of his fame, and grateful for his services. The next year peace was made with Tripoli, and the prisoners ransomed. He died on the 25th August, 1807, in the 46th year of his age.

The person, air, and countenance, of commodore Preble answered to his character. His features expressed strong passions along with manly and generous feelings. His attitude was erect, yet easy and natural; and his whole appearance and port were noble and commanding.

PRESCOTT, WILLIAM, was an officer distinguished by the most determined bravery, and became conspicuous as an American officer from the circumstance of his having commanded the American troops at the battle of Bunker hill, on the memorable 17th of June, 1775. He was born in 1726, at Goshen, in Massachusetts, and was a lieutenant of the provincial troops at the capture of Cape Breton, in 1758. The British General was so much pleased with his conduct in that campaign, that he offered him a commission in the regular army, which he declined, to return home with his countrymen. From this time till the approach of the revolutionary war, he remained on his farm in Pepperel, filling various municipal offices, and enjoying the esteem and affection of his fellow citizens. As the difficulties between the mother country and the colonies grew more serious, he took a deeper and more decided part in public affairs.

In 1774, he was appointed to command a regiment of minute men, organized by the provincial congress. He marched his regiment to Lexington, immediately on receiving notice of the intended operations of General Gage against Concord; but the British detachment had retreated before he had time to meet it. He then proceeded to Cambridge, and entered the army that was ordered to be raised; and the greater part of his officers and privates volunteered to serve with him for the first campaign.

On the 16th June, three regiments were placed under him, and he was ordered to Charlestown in the evening, to take

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