20 Facts About Cadwalader Ringgold

Cadwalader Ringgold was an officer in the United States Navy who served in the United States Exploring Expedition, later headed an expedition to the Northwest and, after initially retiring, returned to service during the Civil War.

Cadwalader Ringgold was born August 20,1802, in Washington County, Maryland, at Fountain Rock, the 18,000-acre family estate.

Cadwalader Ringgold's mother was Maria Cadwalader, daughter of John Cadwalader, who was a general during the American Revolutionary War.

Cadwalader Ringgold's father was Samuel Ringgold, a Maryland politician who later served in the US House of Representatives.

Cadwalader Ringgold had an older brother, Samuel Ringgold, an army officer called "the father of modern artillery" and who died in the Battle of Palo Alto.

Cadwalader Ringgold's father remarried and had five more children by his second wife.

Cadwalader Ringgold became a lieutenant on May 17,1828, and that year served on Vandalia in the Pacific Ocean.

Cadwalader Ringgold carried out surveys of Antarctica, the South American coast, the Tuamotu Islands, Tonga, New Zealand and the Northwest Pacific coast of North America.

Wilkes's ship grounded on the north side of the island, but Cadwalader Ringgold led 80 men from the south side.

Cadwalader Ringgold, who returned to New York shortly after the rest of the expedition, had been gone three years and 11 months at sea.

Cadwalader Ringgold was promoted to commander on July 16,1849, and began the definitive survey of the San Francisco Bay region, suddenly important because of the discovery of gold in the area.

The survey began in August 1849, with Cadwalader Ringgold commanding the chartered brig Col.

Cadwalader Ringgold published A Series of Charts with Sailing Directions in 1851.

Together with Commodore Matthew Perry and others, Cadwalader Ringgold served in August 1852 on the Board of Examination for midshipmen of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Nathaniel Philbrick, in his book Sea of Glory about the US Exploring Expedition, writes that in the later expedition Cadwalader Ringgold "began to act strangely" once in China, keeping his ships in port and "ceaselessly repairing his vessels".

Cadwalader Ringgold recovered within weeks, and soon petitioned Congress for his return.

Cadwalader Ringgold returned to the fleet with the rank of captain during the Civil War.

Cadwalader Ringgold, who had never married, died of apoplexy in New York on April 29,1867.

Cadwalader Ringgold's remains were taken by train to Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, where he lies next to the grave of his brother, Major Samuel Cadwalader Ringgold.

Cadwalader Ringgold named a son "Ringgold Wilmer Lardner", and James' brother gave exactly the same name to his son after the newborn's cousin.