at Fairhill (now in the Nineteenth Ward). She went to England and Ireland on religious business, and finally married a widower, named Morris, and settled in this city. Her first-born was named William Hudson Morris.

JOSHUA HUMPHREYS.

In the "Sunday Dispatch" of the 10th October, 1858, this inquiry was made by H. H. H.:" Were any of the following gentlemen men of note, viz., David Ross, Thomas Russell, Aaron Dexter, Joshua Humphreys? They were all correspondents of Commodore Barry. I have their autographs, and it is for that purpose I wish to know if they are of any repute?" The reply in reference to one of the names was: "Joshua Humphreys, first Naval Constructor of the United States, built many of the ships of war belonging to the government." This was correct as far as it went, but the connection of Mr. Humphreys with the navy was more extended and important than that you have stated, and in one sense he may with propriety be called the Father of the American Navy.

When, in 1792 and '93, it became apparent that a naval establishment must be created, the rate, size, and armament of the ships that should compose it, were much discussed. The views entertained by Mr. Humphreys were communicated to the Hon. Robert Morris, in a letter dated January 6th, 1793, and subsequently in conversation and by letter to General Knox, then Secretary of War, there being no navy, and, of course, no Secretary of the Navy.

The leading ideas of Mr. Humphreys were that, as our navy must be, for a considerable time, inferior in the number of its vessels to the navies of Europe, to compensate for this deficiency in number, our ships should be formidable from their character, and larger in size and armament, and stronger in construction than those of Europe of the same class. The first ships built, he thought, should be frigates, the least of which should carry twenty-eight thirty-two-pounders, or thirty twenty-four-pounders on the gun

deck. Such ships in blowing weather would be an overmatch for ships-of-the-line, (whose lower ports must then be closed), and in light winds could evade coming to action by outsailing them. (In those days the armaments of ships-of-the-line, even, were not so heavy as those proposed for the American frigates.) These frigates should have scantlings equal to seventy-fours, should be built of the best materials that could be procured, and the timber framed and bolted together. When, in the course of time, other classes of ships were to be built, the same principles should be extended to them. In this manner the vessels of the American navy would take the lead of all others.

The copy of the letter to General Knox has been mislaid; that to Mr. Morris is not so full as, nor does it contain the details of, the letter to the Secretary of War, but exhibits merely the general principles proposed for the construction of the navy. It is as follows:

"TO THE HON. ROBERT MORRIS.

"PHILADELPHIA, 6th Jan., 1793.

"Sir: From present appearances, I believe it is time this country was possessed of a navy; but as that is yet to be raised, I have ventured a few ideas on the subject.

"Ships composing the European navies are generally distinguished by their rates; but as the situation of our coast and depth of water in our harbors are different in some degree from those of Europe, and as our navy must be for a considerable time inferior in the number of its vessels to theirs, we are to consider what size ships will be most formidable, and be an overmatch for those of an enemy, such frigates as in blowing weather would be an overmatch for double-decked ships, or in light winds may evade coming to action by outsailing them. Ships built on these principles will render those of an enemy in a degree useless, or will require them to have a superiority in number before they attack our ships.

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Frigates, I suppose, will be their first object, and I think none of them ought to be built less than one hundred and fifty feet keel, to carry twenty-eight thirty-two pounders, or thirty twentyfour pounders, on the gun-deck, and twelve-pounders on the quarter-deck. These ships should have scantlings equal to seventyfours. As such ships will cost a large sum of money, they should

be built of the best materials which can be procured, and the timbers framed and bolted together.

"If we build our ships of the same size as the European, they having so great a number of them, we shall always be behind them. I would build them of a larger size than theirs, and take the lead of them, which is the only safe method of commencing a navy. "I am, very respectfully, yours,

The Act of Congress of the 27th March, 1794, "to provide a naval armament for the United States," gave discretionary power to the President, within certain limits, regarding the size of the ships to be built. Six were authorized: four to be forty-four gun ships, two thirty-six gun ships; or the President might substitute six thirty-two gun ships. In directing the construction of the ships authorized by this Act, the views of Mr. Humphreys were adopted by General Washington and General Knox.

On the 12th of April, 1794, General Knox requested Mr. Humphreys to prepare drafts and models for such frigates as he had proposed to the War Department, in his letter of that date, and also models for the frames; and in July following, he was instructed to have the moulds for those to be built at Norfolk (the Chesapeake), Baltimore (the Constellation), New York (the President), Boston (the Constitution), and Portsmouth (the Congress), prepared with all possible despatch and sent to those places; Mr. Humphreys superintending in person the construction of the frigate United States, at Philadelphia.

In reporting progress in December following, Mr. Humphreys says: "From the construction of those ships (the six frigates), it is expected the commanders of them will have it in their power to engage, or not, any ship, as they may think proper; and no ship, under sixty-four, now afloat, but what must submit to them."

In the same month the Secretary of War, in obedience to the orders of the President, submitted to the House of Representatives a report respecting the frigates authorized by the Act. He says, "That the passing of the said Act created an anxious solicitude that this second commencement of a navy for the United States should be worthy of their national character; that the vessels should

combine such qualities of strength, durability, swiftness of sailing, and force, as to render them equal, if not superior, to any frigates belonging to any European powers. Researches, therefore, have been made for the best principles of construction, and such proportions adopted as have appeared best, upon the most mature advice and deliberation.

"The largest ships, of forty-four guns, will be constructed upon a scale to contain thirty cannons of the calibre of twenty-four pounds upon the gun-deck. The others, of thirty-six, twentyeight cannons, of the same calibre, upon the gun-deck. The remaining force will be made up of twelve-pounders and brass howitzers.

"The frigates will be built of live oak and red cedar, in all parts where they can be used to advantage."

In 1796, a Committee was appointed in the House of Representatives to inquire into the actual state of the naval equipment, &c. &c., and reported that, "after the law (to provide a naval armament) passed, the President of the United States, under whose direction they were to be built, deemed it most advisable to extend the size of the frigates, and determined that they should be near three hundred tons larger, each, than the Committee who had reported on the naval armament had estimated; that instead of making use of common timber for building the frigates, he caused the best live oak and red cedar to be got in Georgia," &c.

In 1798, the Secretary of War, in furnishing information to a committee, appointed by the House of Representatives, to inquire into the expenditure of the money appropriated for the naval armament, and also into the causes of the delay in completing the same, says, in respect to the size of the ships :

"It appears that the first estimate rendered to Congress was for frigates of the common size and dimensions, rated at thirty-six and forty-four guns; and that the first appropriations for the armament were founded upon this estimate. It appears, also, that, when their size and dimensions came to be more maturely considered, due reference being had to the ships they might have to contend with, it was deemed proper so to alter their dimensions, without changing their rates, as to extend their sphere of utility as much as possible. It was expected, from the alteration, that they would possess, in an

eminent degree, the advantage of sailing; that, separately, they would be superior to any single European frigate of the usual dimensions; that, if assailed by numbers, they would be always able to lead ahead; that they could never be obliged to go into action, but on their own terms, except in a calm; and that, in heavy weather, they would be capable of engaging double-deck ships. These are the principal advantages contemplated from the change made in their dimensions. Should they be realized, they will more than compensate for having materially swelled the body of expenditures."

These facts fully sustain the claim made for Mr. Humphreys in the beginning of this article. His plans met with some opposition; and one of the frigates, the Chesapeake, was constructed on a smaller scale than had been intended, and on a different model, although the timbers had been prepared for the larger dimensions. It is believed this change was made without the knowledge of the War Department.

The history of those ships exhibits all the qualities that were claimed for them. They proved to be fast sailers, to be capable of enduring heavy battering, and of inflicting severe injury in a brief time.

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may be unnecessary to remark here that they were officered and manned by men whose courage and daring have never been surpassed, and whose skill in seamanship and naval gunnery have rarely been equalled.

The advantages contemplated in their construction were first realized in the actions, in 1799 and 1800, between the Constellation, Commodore Truxton, and the French ships, Vengeance and Insurgent; but more fully by the naval events of the War of 1812 and 1814, which brought into conspicuous notice the system upon which the American Navy was built, and gave a powerful impulse to the construction of the navies of Europe.

Mr. Humphreys belonged to a family that had always maintained a highly respectable position. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Pennsylvania, emigrating from Wales in 1682, and establishing themselves in what is now Delaware County, upon one of the small tributaries of the Delaware River. There Mr. Humphreys resided during the last thirty years of his life, dying, in