Rambler Learns About Some of Neighbors of Capt. Thomas Tingey

Capt. Thomas Tingey was named to command the Washington Navy Yard about two months before the Government bought the site of the yard. The deed from Gustavus Scott and William Thornton, Commissioners of the Federal City, was dated March 17, 1800, and conveyed to the United States – squares 883 and 884, 40 acres, for $4,000. I make it out from a map of the site of Washington that at the time of the survey of the Federal Territory the land bought for the navy yard was a part of the farm of William Young, I read in Chaplain Henry B. Hibben’s history of the yard what follows:

“This yard was designated originally, to use the language of Secretary Stoddert, ‘for capacious building and dock yard,’ and for many years was regarded as one of the most important and defensible and one of the most useful, convenient and necessary to the Government and Navy Department, and as early as October 1, 1802, the Government had expended $54,643 in improvements at this yard, a sum largely in excess of that appropriated to any one of the other navy yards up to this date, and on January 20 the following year, timber for a 74-gun ship, stores and other materials for building had been purchased to the amount of $158,683.”

Capt. Tingey had been ordered to Washington, January 22, 1800, “with a view to superintend the building of the 74-gun ship and to aid in the arrangement of the navy yard, the arrangement of the navy yard, he improvements of which he will superintend.” I do not find the name of that 74-gun ship nor a record that it was built. I thank Chaplain Hillben for what follows: “The peace establishment act of 1801 authorized the sale of all the ships and vessels belonging to the Navy except 12 frigates. Of the frigates, six only should be kept in commission, and the remaining seven should be dismantled and laid up in ordinary, with the following crew permanently attached to each ship: One sailing master, also to act as purser and to superintend the ship; one boatswain, one gunner, one carpenter, one cook, a sergeant, and eight Marines and 12 seamen. The Marine guard was furnished from Marine Barracks.

The following named ships were in ordinary at the Washington yard in 1802; Frigate United States, 44 guns, Ralph Izard (midshipman), acting as master; Thomas Decordy, acting gunner; William Hunter, acting boatswain; Matthew Welsh, acting carpenter. President, 44 guns, William Knight, sailing master, warrant; John H. Swoope, acting gunner; James Fry, acting carpenter. Congress, 36 guns, David Phipps, sailing master, on liberty; James P. Mix, acting gunner; Conrad Buskin, acting boatswain; Robert Smith, acting carpenter. Boston, 24 guns, A.B. Lord (midshipman), acting as master, James D. Pots, warrant boatswain; Richard Stevenson, acting gunner; Moque Carty, acting carpenter. Essex, 36 guns, ___ Butler, warrant sailing master; John Brewin, acting gunner; John Adams, acting boatswain; Abel Langdon, acting carpenter. General Green, 24 guns, George H. Hackley (midshipman), acting master; Thomas Holden, acting gunner; Thomas Hunter, acting carpenter.

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An officer whose name runs through the early records of the yard is Capt. Cassin, second officer of the yard, and I find Mr. Lorell, master of the yard. In a report, June, 1806, the classes of artisans, their number and pay are given, as follows: Ship carpenters (first-rate), 41, pay $2 per day; ship carpenters (second-rate), 8, $1.75; apprentices (number not given), $1.25; laborers, 70, $0.75; ship and house joiners, 10, $1.50; caulkers, 11, $1.75: riggers, 5, $1.50; blacksmiths (number not given), $1.70; coopers (number not given), $1.25; painters (number not given), $1.25.

The Rambler showed you a photograph of the high iron picket fence around the burial plot of Commodore Tingey in Congressional Cemetery last Sunday. The lot is the first east of the lodge occupied by the superintendent, Lewis B. Taylor, one of the Rambler's friends for many years, and the west side of the Tingey lot is parted from the east wall of the lodge by a narrow walk. A vertical tombstone is marked: "Sacred to the memory of Commodore Thomas Tingey of the United States Navy, who departed this life the 23d of February, 1829, aged 79 years. Also of his wives, Margaret, who departed this life 25th of September, 1807, aged 37 years; Ann Blagden, who departed this life April, --, 1814, aged --; granddaughters: Tingey Anna Wingate, who departed this life 20 August, 1810; Ann Mary Craven, who departed this life 26 September, 1927, aged 21 years."

Near the grave of the commodore the Rambler read these names and dates cut in stone: Henry Ingle, aged 59, died October 1, 1822; Mary Anna Ingle, relict, October 3, 1844, aged 79; two children of Margaret and Henry Ingle, died August 5, 1805, and September --, 1807; Virginia (or it may be Christina) King, wife of Benjamin King, died 1800; also George King; John Underwood, died December 10, 1875, aged 79; Christina Ingle Underwood, died December 17, 1881, aged 77; Harriet Post Fontaine, wife of Felix Fontaine and daughter of John and Christina Underwood, and granddaughter of Henry and Mary Ingle, born February 2, 1836, died March 16, 1857. Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Ann Jackson Emack, consort of William Emack, merchant of this city, her mourning husband has dedicated this tomb as a token of his respect, esteem and love and a tribute to her many virtues. She was born September 24, 1780, and departed this life September 28, 1807.

I meant to copy more inscriptions for you, but my car was waiting and I have never learned to ramble in an auto. It gives me a sense of haste and I have felt that I cannot write a satisfactory ramble save by trudging a road, carrying my pack and welcoming any dreams that come. A few days later I took a street car and walked to the cemetery to get a few notes for this story. A graveyard where the graves show care and where flowers grow does not oppress me. The graves preach me a simpler sermon than I get from a roaring cleric, and, besides, the minister may show ill taste in words and discover that he has slight knowledge of what his words meant in the tongues from which they came to English. The graves urge me not to take myself too seriously and not to accept another man as less common clay because he has a better coat or office. They urge me to smile at folk who squirm and wiggle to call notice to themselves, who weave plots to be made president of this and chairman of that, and whose hands itch to lay hold on money, not that they may live comfortably but that they may live uncomfortably in trying to get more prominence in their little world, which may only be a city or a neighborhood.

While rain was falling I made these notes; Stephen P. Franklin, May 6, 1863, aged 69; his wife, Ann Franklin, 1873, aged 77; May Ann, daughter of above, born 1827, died 1839; Adelina Gault and Lucy, daughters of Stephen and Ann Franklin, died 1852; Wm. Wreckford Kibbey, born Plymouth, Eng., 1802, died Washington, 1861; his wife, Sarah A. Kibbey, 1809-1863; William Gunton, born St. Ayleshire, Eng., 1791, died, Washington, 1880, Hester Livingston, his wife; Edward Temple, son-in-law of Wm. Gunton, died March 1, 1892; his wife, Mary Gunton Temple, died 1896; Elizabeth Livingston, wife of the Rev. Wm. Ives Budington and daughter of Wm. GUnton, died 1854; Wm. A Gunton died 1854, aged 28; Mary R.A. Mullikin, wife of Wm. A. Gunton, died 1853, aged 26; James Walter St. Clair, 1824-1892; his wife, Mary Ellen Burch, 1823-1881; Wm. M. Rose, 1818-1888; Elizabeth H. Rowe, 1818-1897; Wm. H. Rowe, 1849-1901; Susan Biscoe Renner, 1767-1840; James Martin, 1830, aged 60; Julia A. Martin, died 1815; Sarah Woodward wife of Amon Woodward, died 1837; Daniel Shryer, his wife, Susan, and their son, Louis (no date); Aleza A. Roberts 1779-1874; Catharine, wife of Wm. Pechin of Baltimore, died 1830; Edward Ingle, died 1859, also his wife, Julia P. Ingle, daughter of Wm. Pechin, died 1858, aged 50; Adam Gaddis, a native of Naury, County Down, Ireland, for the last 47 years a resident of this city, died July 21, 1867, aged 76; Julia A. Gaddis, his consort, 1800-1877; Nelson and Susannah Gaddis, children of above, and I make their death dates 1845 and 1846; Caspar Windus, 1819-1896; Martha Windus, 1844-1915; Almira G.C. Stoddard, wife of O.N. Stoddard, died 1839; John Henry Ingle, 1833-1877; Maria Baker, wife of Philip Baker, died 1848, aged 70; Eleazer Lindsey, 1864, and his wife, Anna Ingle, died 1882; John Ingle Lindsey, 1820-1898; Susan Ingle, wife of John P. Ingle and daughter of Philip Baker, died 1843; Mildred H. Ingle, wife of John P. Ingle and daughter of Philip Baker, died 1850; John P. Ingle, 1791-1863. Then I came to a vault marked: "John Gadsby" and the vault was built in 1837. A wreath of flowers not long faded rested against the door. But it may have been put there by some one who removed it from a newer tomb.

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I stopped at a vault inscribed: "James H. Causten." He was born at Baltimore 1788 and died at Washington 1874. Also chiseled on the vault was "A Mary de Carvallo Su amante esposp." (To Mary de Carvallo. Her loving husband.) The vault was built in 1835. The door is flanked by two marble slabs inscribed "Inexorable Death's Doings." Mary Elizabeth Carvallo, wife of Manuel Carvallo, minister of Chili at Washington, born at Baltimore 1815, died March 20, 1851, at Washington; Eliza Carvallo, daughter of Manuel and Mary E. Carvallo, and granddaughter of James H. and Eliza Causten, born at Santiago de Chili June 1, 1836, died at Washington June 22, 1853; James Causten Carvallo died at Washington 1851; Washington Carvallo died Washington 1865; Manuel Carvallo, Chilian Minister to Belgium, France and England, son-in-law of James H. and Eliza Causten, born at Santiago de Chili in 1806, died at Compeigne, France, July 24, 1867. His remains removed to Chili." On the opposite slab, this:

"Eliza Causten, wife of James H. Causten, born at Baltimore November 1, 1792, died at Weston farm near Georgetown July 27, 1856; Charles Isaac Causten, son of James H. and Eliza, died at Washington August 8, 1833; James H. Causten, jr., M.D., son of James H. and Eliza, born at Baltimore July 18, 1818, died at Weston farm October 31, 1856; Annie Payne Causten, wife of Dr. James H. Causten, daughter of John C. and Clara W. Payne of Orange County, Va., died November 9, 1852; Henrietta Jane Shriver, wife of Joseph Shriver, daughter of James H. and Eliza Causten, born at Baltimore May 15, 1814, died at Cumberland, Md., March 10, 1863. Buried there, Josephine Shriver, daughter of Joseph and Henrietta Jane Shriver, born at Cumberland August, 1843, died at Frederick City, Md., February 14, 1849; McClintock Young, son-in-law of James H. and Eliza Causten, born at Baltimore March 21, 1801, died May, 1863."