Born in
Brooklyn, New York, Gamble was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 16 January 1809 at the age of 17. Stationed in the South Sea in the Marine Detachment aboard the
frigate USS Essex during the
War of 1812, he rose to the rank of captain by June 1814. He distinguished himself in many enterprises, including encounters with people of the
Marquesas Islands during the absence of
USS Essex in 1813, and sailing a prize of
Essex, the former
whaler , with only a four-man crew and without benefit of a chart in a 17-day voyage to the
Hawaiian Islands. Lieutenant Colonel Gamble is chiefly remembered in history as the only U.S. Marine to command a U.S. Navy ship, commanding two separate prize ships, the USS
Greenwich and USS
Sir Andrew Hammond, during the War of 1812: "...and, for want of sea officers, I placed Lieutenant Gamble of the Marines in charge of the Greenwich." On or about 13 July 1813, while commanding the
Greenwich, Lieutenant Gamble's capture of the British armed whaler after a sharp engagement was noted as a triumph by American newspapers and thus earned him considerable fame upon his return.
Seringapatam was deemed the biggest British threat to American whalers in the South Pacific at the time. When these were taken by Captain Tucker of the
Cherub as prizes of war, the diplomatic relations between the British and King of the Leeward Islands deteriorated. When American whalers were seen in the harbor, Captain Tucker demanded the native king turn both whalers and the stockpiled whale oil over to him. Tucker went so far as to threaten the King by landing his Royal Marines to change the King's mind. The good king firmly said, "No." Tucker decided that a sloop's small complement of Marines and available firepower would be insufficient to force the issue, and thus sailed away. While promoted to his substantial majority only in July 1834—a full 21 years after his most famous action with the
Seringapatam—Gamble was breveted a lieutenant colonel on 3 March 1827, which rank he held until his death. He died in
New York City on 11 September 1836. ==Dates of rank==