Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-03
More Lingan Facts.

THE brief story which the Rambler
wrote a few Sundays ago on tho
subject of Harlem and the home and
burial place of Gen. James McC. I.inran
of the continental army has resulted ia
the resurrection by friends Of the Ramh!cr
Of many facts concerning Gen. I4NEan
which were not brought out in the first
article. Miss Ella l.. Dorsey OF George
town, a sreat-grandniece of Gen. Liugau.
wrote several years ago sketch OF her
distinguished ancestor in which she said
James McC. Lingan was born IN Mar
ford county. Md. May 81. i75i. He was
descended from English and Scotch stock
and some of his American ancestors
were Identified with Maryland history as
far back 1857 George Lingan. his
first colonial ancestor. was a member Of
the house of burgesses and on the recon-
mendation Of Lord Baltimore was az
pointed a member of the proprietary
council
The Rambler has already told thai
Lingan was employed at a tobacco ware
house on the Georgetown water front
when the revolutionary war came on and
that he marched to New England with
the troops from Maryland ana also that
Gen. Washington commissioned him a
".
Maryland regiment in which Lingan
served DISTINGUISHED itself at the battle
Of Long Island. August -. l1I6. in hold
ing a column of CORVALLIS army III
check while the army Of Gen. sullivan
effected its retreat. Lingan and his COM
mand acted in a way becoming to Mary
land soldiers at kips Bay Harlem
Heights. White Plains. Chatterton's Hill
and Fort Washington. 1t is recorded
that Gen. knyphuisen lost 500 men in
efforts h1P fha Ma a,,I
regiment in which Lingan was an officer
LinSan's breast was torn open by a bayo-
net and he was made a prison when Fort
Washington fell on which day he was
promoted to captaincy AS "A prisoner
he was sent on board the prison ship
Jersey, ship that was the grave OF
thousands of American patriots.
Miss Dorsey. in her sketch of Lingan
taking up her narrative at the point
where Lingan was sent on board the
Jersey. continues:
e was like SO many others confined
in cell too short for him to lie down
in and too low for him TO stand up in
He was starved and generally ill-treated.
A cousin to Lngan, Admiral Hood OF the
British navy. offered him liberty and
rank in the British service if he would
desert the colonial cause. His answer
was L will rot first.
He contracted rheumatism, ami
months after his release he could not
straighten his limbs. But he returned to
his command ard remained in the service
till the end Of the revolution, attaining
the rank of general
The Rambler has already told that
President Washington appointed Lingan
collector of the port of Georgetown and
that he Joined heartily with Washington
in his plans for the removal of the seat
of government to the Potomac and for
the upbuilding here of great capital.
Miss Dorsey is authority for the state
ment that in addition to the farm Har-
lem. which lay along the Foxhall road
west Of Georgetown. he was the owner OF
another estate near Washington, the
name Of which was Middlebrooke. The
Rambler does not know where Middle
brooke was. Miss Dorsey says that Gen.
Lingan and his youngest brother, Nicho
las Lingan, were with Thomas Law, who
married Elizabeth Gusts, granddaughter
of Mrs. George Washington. and Philip
Van Ness. who married Marta Burns, the
largest landholders in the young capital
It was ninety-siX years after Gen. Lin
gan's death that the government of the
United States gave the remains solemn
burial at Arlington. the national necropo-
lis. The refinement was ordered by the
War Department at the request of two
granddaughter of Gen Lingan. Mrs.
Elizabeth Randolph Calvert and Miss
Randolph of Washington city, who fear
ed that because of the growth of Wash
ington the grave of their ancestor might
at length be obliterated.