THE "FATHER OF THE AMERICAN NAVY" ADVISES JOHN TEMPLEMAN TO BEGIN PURCHASING TIMBERLANDS NEAR THE FEDERAL CITY FOR USE IN BUILDING UNITED STATES NAVY SHIPS, IN A MANUSCRIPT LETTER SIGNED, AND DATED GEORGE TOWN [DC], NOV. 9, 1798.
A six page letter, approx. 900 words, apparently in a secretarial hand, signed by Stoddert, and directed to John Templeman, a Georgetown shipping merchant. Docketed "Mr. Stoddert's directions about timber." United States Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert's three years as the first Secretary of the Navy led to his..... More