Major Presley O'Bannon (USMC) "Hero of Derna"

The sword that all US Marines carry is based upon the sword that was given to Presley at the battle of Tripoli.

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home to Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, the man whom truly led battles on the shores of Tripoli from whence the song lyrics came. Throwback Thursday travels returns to nearby Logan County this week to share the Marine Corps story.

Presley Neville O’Bannon was born in Virginia the same year this country was—in 1776—amidst the chaos of the American Revolution. His father was Captain William O’Bannon, serving in General George Washington’s Continental Army. His mother was Anne Neville, sister of John Neville, commander of Fort Pitt. Presley himself was named after John Neville’s son, who was aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette, the French aristocrat and Major General in the Continental Army.

United States Marine Corps Officer. He most remembered for being the first man to plant the American Flag on a foreign soil, which was done on April 27, 1805 during the Barbary Wars. Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, he was named for his cousin, who had been an American officer in the Revolutionary War, served as the aide-de-camp to General Marquis de Lafayette and married to the daughter of General Daniel Morgan. In 1805, Tripoli (now Libya) and the Barbary Coast "pirates" had raided shipping in the Mediterranean Seas for years, exacting tribute in return for not attacking ships of a given nation, or seizing ships and sailors and selling them into slavery. Before American Independence, American ships had enjoyed the protection of the British Navy, but after independence, America was forced to pay tribute to avoid pirates (it was determined that it was less costly to pay the tribute then to respond with military action). In 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli, Yusat Karamanli, demanded additional tribute, and when refused, he declared war against the United States. The United States proposed to depose of Yusat, replacing him with his brother, Hamet. Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon, Marine officer assigned to the “USS Argus”, took seven marines and marched with Hamet and 500 of his men from Alexandria, Egypt to Derna, Tripoli, a distance of over 600 miles, arriving on April 25, 1805. When O'Bannon demanded Yusat to surrender, Yusat replied "My head or years." O'Bannon led a daring frontal assault on the harbor fort, raising the American Flag over the fort after two hours of hard fighting. This was the first time the Stars and Stripes had been raised on foreign soil. The fall of the fort disenchanted Yusat's soldiers and they fled Derna, only to return in a fierce counter-attack, which O'Bannon and his men successfully fought off. He continued to serve in the Marine Corps, being promoted to Captain, until March 6, 1807, when he resigned and moved to Kentucky, where he later served in the Kentucky State Legislature. Today, he is remembered by the words "to the shores of Tripoli" being a part of the Marine Corps Official Song, and his Mameluke sword, presented to him by Hamet, has become a standard for Marine Officers since 1825. In addition, the United States Navy has named in its history three destroyers after him (DD-177, DD-450, and DD-987). His remains were exhumed from Dutch Tract Cemetery and reinterred in Frankfort Cemetery.

Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson

Family Members
Parents

William O'Bannon
1729–1807

Added by GenealogyGirl
Added by Bham85
Maintained by: Find a Grave
Added: 31 Dec 2000
Find a Grave Memorial ID: 2339

Major Presley O'Bannon (USMC) "Hero of Derna" is our 7th cousin 6 times removed.
Janet Milburn 11122
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Everything you wanted to know about PRESLEY NEVILLE O'BANNON:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presley_O%27Bannon

Presley Neville O’Bannon (1776 – September 12, 1850) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War. In recognition of his bravery, he received a sword for his role in attempting to restore Prince Hamet Karamali to his throne at Tripoli. That sword became the model for the Mameluke Sword adopted in 1825 as the Marine officers' sword that is still part of the dress uniform today.

Biography

Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, O'Bannon entered the Marine Corps January 18, 1801. As a first lieutenant assigned to the USS Argus (1803), he commanded a detachment of seven Marines in General William Eaton’s little force in the War with Tripoli. During the combined operations with the U.S. Navy, he led the successful attack in the Battle of Derna April 27, 1805, giving the Marines' Hymn its immortal “to the shores of Tripoli”. Although some sources maintain that at this battle Presley O'Bannon became the first man to raise the American flag over foreign soil,[3][4] his superior William Eaton had in fact done so a few months earlier while traveling on the Nile from Alexandria to Cairo. According to tradition, Hamet Karamanli was so impressed with O'Bannon's bravery that, following the attack, he presented Lt. O'Bannon with his personal Mameluke sword as a gesture of gratitude. Upon his return to the States, the state of Virginia presented him with a silver-hilted sword featuring an eaglehead hilt and a curved blade modeled after the original Mameluke given him by Hamet. Its blade is inscribed with his name and a commemoration of the battle of Tripoli.

After resigning from the Marine Corps as a captain on March 6, 1807, O’Bannon moved to Logan County, Kentucky, where he built a home in Russellville. He served in the Kentucky State Legislature in 1812, 1817 and 1820-21, as well as in the Kentucky State Senate from 1824 to 1826. He died on September 12, 1850 at the age of 74 in Franklin County, Kentucky. In 1991 his remains were moved to the Frankfort Cemetery.

Mameluke sword

Perhaps due to the Marines' distinguished record during this campaign, including the capture of the Tripolitan city of Derna after a long and dangerous desert march, Marine Corps Commandant Archibald Henderson adopted the Mameluke sword in 1825 for wear by Marine officers. After initial distribution in 1826, Mameluke swords have been worn except for the years 1859-75 (when Marine officers were required to wear Army M1850 foot officers' swords). Since that time, Mameluke swords have been worn by Marine officers in a continuing tradition to the present day.

Presley Neville O’Bannon (1776 – September 12, 1850) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War. In recognition of his bravery, he received a sword for his role in attempting to restore Prince Hamet Karamali to his throne at Tripoli. That sword became the model for the Mameluke Sword adopted in 1825 as the Marine officers' sword that is still part of the dress uniform today.[2]

Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, O'Bannon entered the Marine Corps January 18, 1801. As a first lieutenant assigned to the USS Argus (1803), he commanded a detachment of seven Marines in General William Eaton’s little force in the War with Tripoli. During the combined operations with the U.S. Navy, he led the successful attack in the Battle of Derna April 27, 1805, giving the Marines' Hymn its immortal “to the shores of Tripoli”. Although some sources maintain that at this battle Presley O'Bannon became the first man to raise the American flag over foreign soil,[3][4] his superior William Eaton had in fact done so a few months earlier while traveling on the Nile from Alexandria to Cairo. According to tradition, Hamet Karamanli was so impressed with O'Bannon's bravery that, following the attack, he presented Lt. O'Bannon with his personal Mameluke sword as a gesture of gratitude. Upon his return to the States, the state of Virginia presented him with a silver-hilted sword featuring an eaglehead hilt and a curved blade modeled after the original Mameluke given him by Hamet. Its blade is inscribed with his name and a commemoration of the battle of Tripoli.[1]

After resigning from the Marine Corps as a captain on March 6, 1807, O’Bannon moved to Logan County, Kentucky, where he built a home in Russellville. He served in the Kentucky State Legislature in 1812, 1817 and 1820-21, as well as in the Kentucky State Senate from 1824 to 1826. He died on September 12, 1850 at the age of 74 in Franklin County, Kentucky. In 1991 his remains were moved to the Frankfort Cemetery.

Mameluke sword

Perhaps due to the Marines' distinguished record during this campaign, including the capture of the Tripolitan city of Derna after a long and dangerous desert march, Marine Corps Commandant Archibald Henderson adopted the Mameluke sword in 1825 for wear by Marine officers. After initial distribution in 1826, Mameluke swords have been worn except for the years 1859-75 (when Marine officers were required to wear Army M1850 foot officers' swords). Since that time, Mameluke swords have been worn by Marine officers in a continuing tradition to the present day.[5]

[edit] Namesakes

Three Navy ships have been named USS O'Bannon in his honor:

the USS O'Bannon (DD–177), a Wickes class destroyer which was launched in 1919 and struck in 1936;

the USS O’Bannon (DD–450), a Fletcher-class destroyer which was launched in 1942 and struck in 1970;; and

the USS O'Bannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class destroyer, which was launched in 1978 and struck in 2005.

O'Bannon Hall, at the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia is named in honor of Presley O'Bannon.

GEDCOM Note

From High In Old Virginia's Piedmont pg 23 The first American to raise the Flag of the United States on foreign soil was from Salem. He was Lieutenant Presley Neville O'Bannon of the United States Marine Corps. He was a brother of Agnes (O'Bannon) Jefffries and was born in the house built by his father, William O'Bannon, just northwest of Salem before 1775. In 1805 O'Bannon led a detachment of seven marines and mixed recruits of Greeks, Arabs and Egyptians from Alexandria 600 miles across the Libyan Desert to attack the fortress of Derne. With some additional marines and shelling from offshore American Naval units, O'Bannon and Midshipman Mann stormed the works with about 1,200 men against defending forces so precipitately that guns were left loaded and even primed. O'Bannon and his force took possession and turned the guns upon the enemy. It is curious, in the light of recent events, that very little reference is made of this historic precedeent for action against the "Barbary pirates" of Libya. O'Bannon, called "The Hero of Tripoli", returned in triumph to Fauquier County but, before 1812, had moved to Russellville, Kentucky.