George Henry Preble
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AIfl RCAh uTI UiT iOJLT ianuscrit Co1leoioi of ccl1sotiot. Location; Octave volumes “P” c..l861—c.l882 Folio volumes “P” Preble, George Henry, Papers, Misc. mss. boxes “P” of collcouon; number 6 octavo volumes; 1 folio volume; 2 folders, 32 items 62—3056 H ails. See DAB, vol. 15, pp. 183-814; and AAS Proceedings, vol. 3 (October 1883-April 1885), pp. 392 and 1495-500. •oiozce of coilec iou Gift and bequest of George Henry Preble Collection Description. George Henry Preble (1816-1885) was a naval officer and author, He served with the Navy in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. From l8L3 to i8L5 he circumnavigated I the world and went ashore with the first American force to land in China. He also sailed with Matthew C. Perry’s expedition to the Far East in 1852 to l85L. He served. in various capacities with the Navy during the Civil War and retired as a rear admiral. Preble was a writer and collector of material on historical subjects, epeciall naval topics. He wrote Our Flag: Origin and Progress of thl of the United States of America... (1872, 1880, and 1917). He also researched his genealogy and wrote many historical sketches and periodical articles. The first four octavo volumes are collections of correspondence, newsclippings, illustrations, photographs, and business records pertaining to his research for the book on the American flag. The materials are not arranged in a precise order but appear to be grouped together in non-alphabetical sequence by writer. The first volume includes material dating from 1861—1873; the second, 1866—1873; the third, 1873—1880; and the fourth, 1873—1880. The first two volumes have many letters from Joel Mursell (1808—1880) pertaining to the printing of the book and there are also statements of exrenditures and receipts from Ihnse11 and from the engravers. includiiig J.H. Eufford’s Lithographic House. Subsequent volumes include correspondence from McAllister John persons iaiowled.geable about flags including John A. ( — ), Francis Hamtramok Claiborne (1807-l8814), Charles Jeremy Hoadly (1828 1300) and con’ t. AM1lICAt iNTIQUARIAN SOCIZTY Manuscript Collections Collection Description (con’tJ Preble, george Henry, Papers William J. Canby ( - ). There is information about various state flags, and there are letters from persons complementing Preble on his book. * The collection also includes three volumes of newsclippings, illustrations, and reports about people who lived to be very old. The folio volume is titled “Instances of Reputed Longevity with Notes on Same.” Most of the material was I copied into the volume by a clerk, Alexander H. Massie ( — ). There are 1235 pages (some blank) and the reports are arranged by age of the persons at death. The clippings in the volume date from 1875 newspapers. Two octavo volumes have similar materials on longevity. Octavo volume #5 (152 pp., many blank) has newsclippings dating from 1876 and there is some inter- leaved correspondence. Octavo volume #6 (102 pp., some blank) is a supplement to the other two volumes and includes some older newsclippings with most of the clippings from c.1879-l81. dating One folder includes four letters and 1 postcard, 18714—1882, from Preble to Nathaniel Paine (1832—1917) discussing personal matters, American Anticiuarian Society meetings, and Preble’s writing. There is also a copy of a seven—page letter, 1875, to Preble from Divie Bethune McCartee (1820-1900) discussing his professorshipj at the Imperial University of Tokyo in Japan and missionary work in the Far East. The second folder contains subscription lists and prospectuses for the second edition of Preble’s book on the American flag, newsclippings about the book, Preble’s book plate, and a photograph of the flag of Fort Mckenry. (This material was removed for4 the AAS copy of the second edition, call number: G380.P922.R880.) * Octavo volumes I and 4 include letters written to Preble between 1873 and 1876 by Georgiana Armistead Appleton (1817—1879) about the Star Spangled Banner, which was then in her possession. 72—3—77 Additioi 8l- l) (t o o N (t 0 Preble CONTENTS TIMELINE 1-3 PREBLE FAMILY BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 4 SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE 5 PROVENANCE PREBLE PAPERS IN OTHER LOCATIONS 6-7 ARRANGEMENT 8-9 BOX LIST 10-16 OVERSIZE BOX LIST 17 APPENDICES APPENDIX A Photographs removed from the collection APPENDIX B Publication list for Cased Volume 4, Miscellaneous Writings APPENDIX C List of Ships’ Logs, 1836-1863 APPENDIX D Museum objects removed from the collection Preble TI ME LINE 1816 February 25 George Henry Prehie (GHP) horn in Portland, Maine to Enoch (1763-1 842) and Sally (Cross) Preble (1777-1848) 1835 October 10 Appointed midshipman in the L.S. Navy Cruised the Mediterranean and Caribbean 1 836- 1 840 Attended Philadelphia naval school 1 841 January August - October Explored the Florida coast, included a canoe expedition through the Everglades Appointed Acting Master. 1. .S. Ship Louis 1 843 Commanded the first American armed landing force in 1 644 Canton. China 1845 November 18 Married Susan Zabiah Cox (1 820-1875) of Portland, Maine 1846-1 847 Served in the schooner Petrel during the Mexican War in blockade service 1 848 February 5 Promoted to lieutenant 1849 - 1852 Served on coast survey duty and cruised the Gulf of Mexico on the Saratoga Shipped out on board St. Louis hound for England and 1 851 World’s Fair: ship transported some of the American exhibits to the fair - 1856 Accompanied Matthex Perrvs mission to Japan in ship 1 855 ItILILedoIzlan: commanded a steamer operating against Chinese pirates; prepared surveys and sailing directions tbr Wu-Song River leading to Shanghai I $56 September Stationed in Portland, Maine as the Inspector of F ihtho uses Preble page 2 TIMELINE (contd) 1857- 1858 Stationed in Boston (Charlestown) Navy Yard 1858 - 1861 Executive officer of the Narragansett in the Pacific first regular command of the steam gunboat 1 861 Received Katahdin: joined Admiral David Farragut in the Gulf: was the fourth ship to pass the forts below New Orleans, and was actively engaged in operations up to Vicksburg 1 862 July 16 Promoted to Commander through 1 862 September 4 Allowed Confederate Cruiser Oreto to break blockade of Mobile Bay, dismissed from service to of Commander in the U.S. Navy 1 863 Restored rank Sent to Lisbon. Portugal: cruised the Azores. Canary Islands. and Gilbraltar Ordered to the U.S. southeast coast blockade; found 1 864 November opportunity for distinction as the commander of the fleet brigade, which in November and December operated with the army preparing for Sherman’s approach to the sea 1865 Auuust Commanded ship State of Georgia: protected commercial interests at Panama - Served at the Boston (Charlestown) Navy Yard 1 865 October 1 868 July 1 867 \iarch Commissioned Captain 1868 Served in the Pacific as chief-of-staff for Admiral Thomas Craven Commodore* I 871 Promoted to Published: Our Flag. Origin and Process of the Flag of the United States of America. with an Introductory Account of the Smbols, Standards. Banners and Flags of Anciem and ‘\Iodern Nations. (Albany: .Joel Munsell, I 872i Preble page 3 TIMELINE. com’d. *Made from 1 874 a Commodore with a commission dating 1871 1 876 Promoted to Rear-Admiral Commanded the South Paci tic Squadron 1878 Retired from the ti.S. Navy to Boston. Mass.. where he spent his time writing 1883 Published: A Chronological History of the Development (Philadelphia: L.R. of Steam Navigation. 1 543-1 882. Hamerslv & Co.) 1885 March 1 Died in Boston Preble page 4 PREBLE FAMILY BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Benjamin Preble (h. beteen 1650-1660 - 1732), father of Jedidiah Preble, great-grandfather of George Ilenr\ Preble (1816-1885: GHP) Bngadier-Genenii Jedidiah Prehle 1707-1784). grandfather of GIIP Martha Prehle d. 1753). first \\ife ofJedidiah Preble \Iehitable (Bangs) Preble (1728-1805). second wife of Jedidiah Preble: grandmother of GHP Commodore Fdard Prehie (1761-1807). fourth child of Jedidiah and Mehitable Preble: uncle of (ii IP Captain Enoch Preble (1763-I $42). fifth child of Jedidiah and Mehitable Preble: father of GHP Statira Preble (1767-1796). sixth child of Jedidiah and Mehitable Preble; aunt of GHP 1Ienr Prehle (1770-1 825). seventh child of Jedidiah and Mehitable Preble: U.S. Consul at Palermo: uncle of GHP Ehen Preble (1802-1848). first child of Capt. Enoch Preble: brother of GHP of GHP: married John \de1ine Preble (h. 1 805), second child of Capt. Fnoch Preble: sister Banes Prehle I 80$-I $67. third child of Capt Enoch Preble: sister of GHP I len ustn /ahiah >Cox) Preble (1820-1875). wife of GHP. Susan and GHP had four children. tvo girls and two boys: 1lenr Oxnard Preble (1847-1871). Susie Zabiah Preble (b. 1850), Mildred Preble b. and d. 1857); George lienryRittenhouse Preble (h. 1859) Preble page 5 SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The papers of George Henry Preble, 1729-1926. are housed in tent-fie boxes, six cased volumes, and one oversize box. The papers have been arranged in two series, loose papers and bound o1umes. Because there is a great deal of overlap, researchers should consult both loose and bound papers for a particular subject or time period. The collection of Rear-Admiral George Henry Preble. USN. 1816-1885. consists of naval correspondence and ships’ logs, along with literary and historical compositions, genealogical researches, letters, diaries, and expense accounts. Many of the subjects contained in the papers re’olve around GHP’s naval duties and appointments in the Mediterranean: the south of Florida, hich included an expedition through the Everglades; the Boston (Charleston) Navy Yard: Japan, (he accompanied Matthew Perrys mission in 1851 to China: Japan to open ports to American trading vessels: and Portugal.