Gibraltar were the Governor, whom he highly esteemed, General Barnet, General Fox, and Colonel Tyres; while his relations with Sir Alexander Ball, the Governor of Malta, and with Captain Schomberg, of the British navy, were intimate.* Sir Alexander Ball was one of Nelson's captains, and commanded the Alexander ship of the line, in the battle of the Nile, and, as his Lordship said on that occasion, was one of his " one of his "supporters." At this time, he was in correspondence with both Nelson and Preble. His position, therefore, was too independent for adulation, and the general reputation of our navy in 1804 could not have predisposed him to offer it. To him Preble enclosed a copy of the Secretary's letter, the last from which we have quoted, and wrote to Captain Schomberg, apprizing him of the fact. In his letter of reply, the Baronet said, "I have communicated this to all those I know. They join me in regretting that an officer, whose talents and professional abilities have been justly appreciated, and whose manners and conduct eminently fit him for so high a command, should be removed from it.”

* Letters marked confidential were written to Preble by Ball, after the former had returned to the United States, and their contents show that the relations between them were indeed of the nature stated in the text.

Here the subject might well have ended; but Ball, in a subsequent letter, remarked, "I beg to repeat my congratulations on the services which you have rendered your country, and the hair-breadth escapes you have had, in setting so distinguished an example to your countrymen. If I were to offer my humble opinion, it would be, that you have done well in not purchasing a peace with money. A few brave men have been sacrificed; but they could not have fallen in a better cause; and I even conceive it better to risk more lives, than to submit to terms, which might encourage the Barbary states to add fresh demands and insults."

We may now appropriately close, with the high compliment of his Holiness the Pope. "The American commander, with a small force, and in a short space of time, has done more for the cause of Christianity, than the most powerful nations of Christendom have done for ages."

After transferring the squadron to Barron, much remained to be done; and about four months elapsed before the Commodore took his departure for the United States. While closing his accounts with the various consuls and navy agents, and while disposing of other official busi

ness, he visited Malta twice, Messina twice, and Syracuse twice, and was also at Palermo, Naples, Gibraltar, and Tangiers. At Naples he was introduced at court. Having resigned the Constitution to Decatur; having endeavored to arrange with the Neapolitan government, on behalf of Barron, for bomb-vessels and mortars, gunboats, cannon, shot, and shells, to be used the next season; having written farewell letters to Bainbridge, Colonel Lear, Sir Alexander Ball, and several other friends, he sailed for home in the John Adams, in January, 1805. This ship had on board all the invalid officers and men of the squadron; and her destination was Washington. But, on the 22d of February, it was reported, that the quantity of water was becoming short, and he advised Chauncey, who was in command, to make for the nearest safe port in the United States. Four days after, she arrived at New York. Preble repaired to the seat of government with but little delay, reaching Washington on the 4th of March.

CHAPTER X.

Remarks on Preble's Services in the Mediterranean. - Reduction of the Navy in 1806. His private Correspondence.

His failing Health.

He is solicited to remove to Washington.
Offered the Navy Agency at Boston. — Measures

attempted for the Restoration of his Health. His Death. Funeral Honors.

THE services of Preble had made a deep impression; and, on his return to his native country, thinking men paid him distinguished honor. few days previous to his arrival, the President had communicated to both Houses of Congress an account of his proceedings between the 9th of July and the 10th of September, 1804, which embraced the period of his most important operations; and, in the accompanying message, remarked that "the energy and judgment displayed by this excellent officer, through the whole course of the service lately confided to him, and the zeal and bravery of his officers and men in the several enterprises executed by them, cannot fail to give high satisfaction to Congress and their country, of whom they have deserved well."

On the 3d of March, the day before Preble

reached Washington, a resolution passed Con-
gress, directing that a gold medal, emblemati-
cal of the attacks on the town, batteries, and
naval force of Tripoli, should be presented to
him; that a sword should also be presented
to each of the commissioned officers and mid-
shipmen, who had "distinguished themselves "
in these several attacks; and that one month's
extra pay should be given to each of the petty
officers, seamen, and marines of the squadron.
The medal was transmitted to the Commodore
on the 17th of May, 1806,* and the month's
pay was duly given to the persons named;
but the language of the resolution respecting
the officers, who were entitled to a sword,
embarrassed the President, and the swords were
not provided.
in Congress.
after an examination, justly said, that, consider-
ing the services of Preble and those under his
command "constitute one of the most bril-
liant portions of our naval history," it would
far better become our national character to
present all the officers with a token of their
country's favor, than, as had been done, to
afford it to none, on the plea that there was a
difficulty in discriminating between those who

In 1813, the subject came up
The committee of that body,

* American State Papers, Vol. XIV. pp. 282, 292, et seq.