George H. Preble
| George Henry Preble | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Preble in 1879
|
|
| Born |
February 25, 1816 Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 1885 (aged 69) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Buried at | Eastern Cemetery, Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1835–78 |
| Rank |
 Rear admiral
|
| Commands held |
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 |
| Signature | .jpg){kind=small} |
George Henry Preble (February 25, 1816 – March 1, 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.
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 December 10, 1835, serving on the frigate United States until 1838.
He was in the Florida war in 1841, and was on the sloop 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 July 15, 1847, and lieutenant on February 5, 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 Narragansett, 1859–1861, then took command of the steam-gunboat Katahdin, serving with David Farragut on the Mississippi River, was promoted to commander on July 16, 1862, and given command of the steam-sloop Oneida blockading Mobile Bay.
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