- George Henry Preble, Union Admiral - History of the Flag of the United States of America and of the Naval and Yacht Club Signals, Seals and Arms and Principal National Songs of the U.S Etc. Hardcover - 1881 by Preble, Geo Henry, A. Williams and Co, 1881. Book. Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 2nd revised edition. Author signed at the end of preface. 10 plates. From Wikipedia: Preble was an American naval officer and writer, notable for his history of the flag of the United States and for taking the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag that inspired the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". He was in the Florida war in 1841, and was on the sloop St. Louis for its circumnavigation of the world in 1843–1845, taking ashore the first American force to land in China. In the Mexican–American War, he participated in the capture of Alvarado, Veracruz, and Tuxpan. He became master on July 15, 1847, and lieutenant on February 5, 1848. While serving on the frigate St. Lawrence, he went with Matthew C. Perry to Japan in 1853, during which Preble surveyed various harbors in the Far East. After a period as lighthouse inspector and at Charlestown Navy Yard, he served on Narragansett, 1859–1861, then took command of the steam-gunboat Katahdin, serving with David Farragut on the Mississippi River, was promoted to commander on July 16, 1862, and given command of the steam-sloop Oneida blockading Mobile Bay. When the Confederate cruiser CSS Florida eluded him, Preble was dismissed from the Navy, but was reinstated after the captain of Florida testified that superior speed alone had saved him.