Presley Neville O’Bannon (ca. 1776-1850)

Near here stood the home of William and Ann (Neville) O’Bannon, where their son, Presley N. O’Bannon, was born. A first lieutenant in the Marines, O’Bannon served in North Africa during the First Barbary War. At the Battle of Derna, Tripoli (present-day Libya) on 27 Apr. 1805, he led a charge that resulted in the capture of a key battery. He and Navy Midshipman George Mann are credited as the first Americans to raise the U.S. flag over a fortress outside of North America. The victory helped end the four-year war and inspired the phrase “to the shores of Tripoli” in the Marines’ Hymn. O’Bannon later served in the U.S. Army, settled in Kentucky, and was elected to its legislature.

Department of Historic Resources, 2022