Blue Water Men - And Women - 186 British Officer Saves Preble While Prisoner By FRED HUMISTON Indies waters, where she cap- had it not been for a lucky Preble had earned a reputatio tured several prizes In May of break. for capability in command, a Young Edward Preble of Fal- 1781. she was unlucky enough This stroke of luck was in well as for sudden bursts C mouth, son of the Brigadier, to fall in with two British the form of a British officer of temper, although they "did nc had been a midshipman aboard frigates, one of her own class, a Loyal American regiment, last long enough for him t the Massachusetts State S hip the other with 50 guns. Out- who came aboard on a tour of take a turn of the quarter "Protector" when on the morn- sailed, out-gunned and out- inspection. He was Colonel deck." maneuvered, she was easily Tyng, a former Falmouth (To Be Continued) ing of June 9, 1780, she had taken. (Portland) man and a friend engaged the big letter-of-mar- Mr. Lieutenant Preble was of the family, who as a Tory que "Admiral Duff," 36 guns. now a prisoner of war, and sheriff had been forced to flee The "Protector," an unhandy therefore came under the pow- the town at the outbreak of in-between size warship of 26 er of the British Provost hostilities. He had also served guns, had done surprisingly Marshal Cunningham and his with the Brigadier in the well, setting the enemy afire Commissary side-kick, Loring. French Wars and sinking her in a hot fight. Evidently the Mainer stood on Preble had been in command his legal rights and refused to NOW HE PROVED to be a of a division of main-deck get up the money that might real friend. He nursed Edward guns, and although no men- have eased his situation, or through the worst of his ill- tion was made of him in dis- send to his father for it, with ness, saw that he had proper patches, he must have done the result that he was tossed nourishment and arranged his well, for at the age of 19 he into the most horrible of all exchange, for which the United was promoted to a lieutenancy. the prison hulks, the "Jersey" States Navy should forever be The "Protector" had rescued in New York harbor. Few men indebted to his memory; a po- 55 of the enemy crew, and it escaped alive from this over- litical enemy who did not for- was learned from them that crowded, vermin and fever-rid- get the fact that he was a the "Admiral Duff" had car- den trap, and if the prisoners friend and an American. ried fever aboard. Sixty of the didn't die of disease, they It took young Edward a full Americans came down sick with wasted away from malnutri- year of living outdoors in the it, and short-handed. the Mas. tion for