Presley Neville
O'Bannon was born on 1776, in Fauquier County, Virginia. First
appointed a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps on 18 January
1801, he served in various stations in the United States prior
to assignment onboard USS ADAMS. Following a deployment to the
Mediterranean on the ADAMS, First Lieutenant O'Bannon returned
to the United States in November 1803. He was assigned to duty
at Marine Barracks, Washington D.C.
In 1804, First
Lieutenant O'Bannon was again called to sea duty, this time onboard
PRESIDENT. Setting sail for the Mediterranean in May 1804, the
USS PRESIDENT arrived at Gibraltar in August. Following several
months in the Mediterranean, First Lieutenant O'Bannon was transferred
to another warship, USS CONSTITUTION, and then to USS ARGUS. While
serving as the Marine Officer on the later vessel, he was selected
for a mission that later was commemorated in the colors of the
Marine Corps and recorded in the Marine Hymn in the words "to
the shores of Tripoli".
For many years
the United States had maintained peace with the Barbary States
by "buying" treaties and paying tributes to the Pasha.
The states of Algiers, Morocco, and Tunis remained reasonably
complacent under this system, though Tripoli continued to demand
larger payments and make threats against the United States.
Finally, (May
14th 1801) the Pasha of Tripoli, Yousuf, demonstrated his dissatisfaction
by cutting down the flag staff in front of the U.S. Consulate.
This led to a declaration of war by the United States and more
warships being dispatched to the Mediterranean. During a storm,
one of these, USS PHILADELPHIA, went on the rocks off Tripoli,
with her crew being captured and imprisoned at Derna.
This event,
and the inability of U.S. agents to ransom the crew of the Philadelphia,
led to the formation of a bold rescue plan, which included First
Lieutenant O'Bannon. The plan, conceived by Naval Agent William
Eaton, proposed the formation of an alliance with Prince Hamet
of Tripoli, elder brother of the Pasha of Tripoli.
In January
of 1805, First Lieutenant O'Bannon, in command of a Marine Detachment
consisting of one sergeant and six privates, joined Eaton's allied
force at Alexandria, Egypt. This army of 500 men then began an
expedition against Derna. The ships HORNET, NAUTILUS, and ARGUS
further augmented the force. Under a bombardment provided by these
ships, Lt. O'Bannon led his force on March 27th 1805 through a
shower of musketry and stormed the principal edifices, routing
the enemy in such haste that their guns were left loaded and primed.
First Lieutenant O'Bannon planted the United States Flag upon
the ramparts and then turned the guns upon the enemy. After some
two hours of hand-to-hand fighting, the stronghold was occupied
and for the first time in history the flag of the United States
flew over a fortress of the Old World.
The Tripolitains
counter-attacked the fortress a number of times, but were repelled
with heavy losses. Finally, through a spirited bayonet charge,
the enemy was driven from the vicinity of Derna. This stubbornness
and pugnacity by the Americans led to an almost mythical belief
in their fighting ability.
On the occasion
of his departure, Prince Hamet of Tripoli honored LT Presley O'Bannon
by giving him his jeweled sword with a Mameluke Hilt. This sword
was the model for the dress sword used by Marine Corps Officers
today, making it the oldest continuously used weapon in the U.S.
Military Arsenal. Upon his return to the United States, the state
of Virginia presented O'Bannon a sword modeled after the original
Mameluke blade given him by Prince Hamet of Tripoli.
Hailed as a
national hero, "the hero of Derna", Presley O'Bannon
resigned from the Marine Corps on March 6th, 1807. He went to
Kentucky and served in the State Legislature. He died on September
12th, 1850 at the age of 74. A monument to his memory was erected
over his grave in the state cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Illustrated by zono.
