USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 158
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"JOHN PAUL JONES.
" December 17th, 1780."
He was promoted to a lieutenancy in the United States navy, and died of the yellow fever while in command of the United States naval station at Charleston, S. C., Sept. 30, 1805.
Capt. Richard Fanning Loper, a relative of this distinguished officer, was a native of Stonington, and his life was so fraught with stirring events of historic interest that the following biographical sketch of this remarkable man, kindly furnished by a friend, is deemed worthy of a prominent place in the history of his native town :
Capt. Richard F. Loper was born in Stonington, Conn., Feb. 3, 1800. Like most boys brought up in the seaport towns, he formed an early affection for a . seafaring life, and being robust for one of his age, and possessing a vigorous constitution, he made his first voyage at the age of ten years. Six years later he had attained the dignity of first mate of a coasting vessel, and during the following year, 1817, he was placed in command of the schooner "Nancy Cobb." He com- manded this vessel, carrying freight and passengers between Hartford, Conn., and Philadelphia, Pa.,
646
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
until 1819, when, wishing to have a more thorough training as a sailor, he shipped as second mate of the sloop " Hero," Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer, and was with Capt. Palmer when he discovered " Palmer's Land," on this voyage to the South Seas. After this voyage Capt. Loper returned to Philadelphia and started a line of packets between that port and Hartford, Conn., taking command of the schooner " Alonzo"; afterwards built a new schooner named the "Maid," which he took command of.
In 1831, after a life of over twenty years on the sca, he took up his residence in Philadelphia, having mar- ried there in 1825, and started as a ship-builder and contractor, his line of packets still running between Philadelphia, New York, and Hartford. Steam now interfering with his packets, he took to steam, and on Feb. 28, 1844, took out a patent-right for a propeller wheel. The government anxious to ascertain the best propelling power for its ships, arranged a trial of the three wheels then in use. The result will be found in a pamphlet published by the government, entitled "Report of Trials of Speed with the Revenue Steam- ers 'Spencer,' 'Jefferson,' and 'Legare,' with Hun- ter's Submerged Wheels, and Ericsson's and Loper's Propellers, made by Direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, and under the Superintendence of Capt. Alexander V. Fraser, United States Revenue Marine, 1844-45."
Page 7 of this report Capt. Fraser says, in a letter dated Washington City, May 30, 1845, to Hon. Robert J. Walker, Secretary of the Treasury, Washington,-
" I would respectfully recommend, as the machinery of the above- named vessels ('Spencer,' 'Jefferson,' and ' Legare') is adapted to Loper's as well as Ericsson's propeller, and as the propeller may be made, sent to the vessels, and applied by their own engineers, that that of Loper may be used. I am satisfied, by my own observations, as well as the assur- ances of individuals who are engaged in steam navigation, that the Loper propeller is far superior to the others in every point of view, particularly in strength, and consequently in durability.
" I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, " ALEXANDER V. FRASER, Captain U. S. Revenue Marine."
Capt. Loper then invented and patented a propeller engine, and was assured of the success of these two inventions by the receipt of the following letter :
" NAVY DEPARTMENT, " BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTION, " June 26, 1847.
"SIR,-You are requested to inform this Bureau, at the very earliest practicable date, for what sum you will transfer to the Navy Department, during the unexpired term of your patents, the right to use on steamers of war, about to be constructed, your screw propeller, driven by cylinders with a combined capacity of 353.4 cubic feet.
" I am, respectfully, yours, etc., "CHAS. WM. SKINNER.
"CAPT. R. F. LOPER, Philadelphia."
The price set by Capt. Loper was paid by the gov- ernment, and his invention adopted and used.
Capt. Loper held in all thirteen patent-rights, all of which were valuable. He invented and patented the construction of a ship with an iron frame and planked outside with wood on to the frame.
On or about the 25th of August, 1846, Gen. Scott was at or near Brazos, Texas, with his army ; he made a requisition on the War Department for one hun- dred and fifty surf-boats, to be fifty feet long, twelve feet wide, and four feet deep, and stated in a letter to Gen. Marcy (then Secretary of War) that the boats must be shipped on or before Jan. 1, 1847, or he would be compelled to put off his expedition against Vera Cruz until the following year ; as the season of northers would commence soon after January, the fulfillment of this urgent order would save the entire expense of the Mexican war for one year. In this emergency the War Department applied to the Navy Department for assistance, the Secretary of the Navy called the naval constructors to Washington to consult. with them, and on the 27th of November the board of naval constructors decided that it would take at. least ninety days to complete the one hundred and fifty surf-boats and have them ready for shipment, provided all the navy-yards in the country could be used for that work alone.
Secretary Marcy telegraphed to Capt. Loper at Philadelphia to come immediately to Washington. On his arrival there he met Col. Henry Stanton, act- ing quartermaster-general, with Secretary Marcy. This vital business and the decision of the naval con- structors was made known to him by Col. Stanton. Capt. Loper asked if Mr. Lenthall, the naval con- structor, was then in Washington. Col. Stanton in- formed him he was, and sent for him. Upon his arrival Capt. Loper asked him if he had made cal- culations himself, and was sure the boats could be built and ready for shipment in ninety days. Mr. Lenthall said he had made the calculations, and knew the work could be accomplished in that time. Capt. Loper then informed the Secretary that he would build the boats and have them ready for shipment in thirty days, upon one condition, that being, the gov- ernment to give him authority to contract where he wished, at the best he could, and the government to pay the bills ; in fact, to give him a carte blanche in writing. The Secretary and acting quartermaster- general told him they would not give such a docu- ment. Capt. Loper then returned to Philadelphia. The following morning Capt. Loper received the fol- lowing letter by special messenger from Washington :
"QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, " WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 1846.
"SIR,-The Quartermaster's Department is desirous of availing itself of your well-known intelligence, judgment, and practical experience in the discharge of its duties connected with the construction, purchase, or charter of vessels, boats, and other objects required in the prosecution of military marine operations, and therefore name, and by these presents appoint you one of its special agents, at a salary or per diem allowance of - per day, besides traveling and other expenses incident to the ser- vice on which you may be employed, during the continuance of your special agency. You will please signify, as early as may be, your accept- ance or non-acceptance of the agency proposed, and in case of the former, you will please regard the following as instructions upon the subject therein specially referred to. The Department has been recently required to provide, at an embarrassingly short notice, one hundred and fifty boats or barges of the description indicated in the drawings and specifications
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STONINGTON.
handed you yesterday by the first day of January, and it is to provision and proper equipment of this required Boat Fleet your individual atten- tion is now invoked, and it is on your efforts the Department mainly re- lies for the timely execution of one of the most important as well as diffi- cuit orders which the exigencies of the war have thrown upon it. You will please take early and the most energetic and prompt measures which your experience may suggest for the procurement by contracts, with re- sponsible individuals, of the number of boats or barges in question, in your city, Baltimore, New York, Boston, and elsewhere, impressing strongly upon the attention of all persons disposed to contract, the im- portance to contractors, as well as all others concerned, of having the work done within the time specified by contract, and of good materials and workmanship, and in strict conformity to the drawings and specifi- cations referred to, a copy of each of which you will hand to each of the contractors for their guide and government in the work. Special care should be taken in the construction of the boats designed for the landing of heavy ordnance.
" Any assistance, with the power of the officers of this Department, at the places where you may be operating, as well as the officers of the Navy-Yards, will be promptly accorded to you. The entire confidence in your judgment and discretion renders more detailed instructions unne- cessary ; as to price, it is not deemed expedient to limit you, further than to intimate the hope that you may be able to resist any combination which may be formed to take advantage of the urgent necessities of the Government on the part of bidders, and be able to accomplish our object at what may be fairly considered, under the circumstances, a fair price.
" The estimate made by officers of the navy, as well as naval construc- tors, is about four hundred dollars per boat. I shall be agreeably disap- pointed if you are not compelled by untoward circumstances to pay considerably more.
"But I am entirely confident you will, in this iniportant respect, do the best that can be done. Should you find, atter due efforts (what I fear you will find), it impracticable to secure contracts for the whole number of boats required, of the description indicated in the drawings and speci- fications already referred to, you will secure the greatest number possible, and build or cause to be built the number of flat-bottomed hoats of the description, and from which you may think best adapted to the service for which they are required, necessary to make up the deficiency.
" Keep this office advised of your measures in the prosecution of the work confided to you, and rely at all times upon all the aid and assistance on the part of the Department.
" I remain, sir, with great respect and esteem, your Ob't Sr't, " HENRY STANTON, Ass't. Qr. Mr. Genl. "CAPT. R. F. LOPER, Philadelphia."
This letter was, in fact, what Capt. Loper had asked for, and after handing the messenger his acceptance, he started for the ship-yards, and inside of thirty-six hours had the boats under contract, and on Dec. 30, 1846, the one hundred and fifty surf-boats were on board transports, and on their way to Vera Cruz. The army under Gen. Scott landed in these boats during the following March at Sacrificios, three miles from Vera Cruz.
In answer to a letter to the quartermaster-general, asking to be considered out of the service, Capt. Loper received the following letter :
" QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
" WASHINGTON CITY, August 10th, 1848.
"CAPTAIN,-I have received your letter of the 9th instant. As you held an appointment, and not an office, the same course was pursued in your case that is pursued in all similar cases ; you were considered out of service from the time you intimated a wish to be no longer considered in the service. Entertaining as I did very high regard for you, and being entirely satisfied with the valuable services you had rendered, I would have given you a written testimonial had I considered it of any importance, but it affords me sincere pleasure now to assure you that I shall always hold in grateful remembrance the energy and ability witlı which yon performed every duty confided to you during the whole period you were employed by this Department.
"I am, Captain, most respectfully your obedient servant,
" THOS. JESSUP, Quartermaster-General.
Capt. Loper then gave his attention to ship-build- ing and steamship improvement; the number of ves- sels contracted for and built by Capt. Loper up to and including 1866 were over four hundred, the largest being the steamship "S. S. Lewis," of fifteen hundred tons, for the Boston and Liverpool Steam- ship Company, and thirteen steamers of like size for the Parker Vein Steamship Company, also steamers of the Philadelphia Steam Propeller Company (Swift- sure Transportation Company), the Bangor and Boston Steam Navigation Company, and the Phila- delphia and Hartford Line of Steamers. He was president of the Philadelphia Steam Propeller Com- pany and Swiftsure Transportation Company from 1848 until 1877; was also president of the Philadel- phia and Trenton Railroad Company for several years ; president of the Gloucester Ferry Company, running from Philadelphia to Gloucester, N. J., for twelve years ; was appointed a director in the South- wark National Bank of Philadelphia, June 14, 1866, and served continuously until the date of his resigna- tion, Nov. 13, 1876.
At the commencement of the late war, Capt. Loper was again made transport agent of the government. At the time communication was cut off between Phil- adelphia and Washington the Governor of the State of New Jersey telegraphed to Capt. Loper that the State troops were at Trenton awaiting transportation. Capt. Loper took the steamers of the Philadelphia Steam Propeller Company, thirteen in all, and within twelve hours had them at Trenton, ready for the troops. After taking the troops on board the steamers he received the following letter :
" STATE OF NEW JERSEY, " EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, "TRENTON, May 2, 186I. "CAPT. R. F. LOPER :
"Sir,-You will proceed with the transport fleet carrying the New Jersey Brigade to Annapolis under the command of Brig .- Gen. Runyon, whose orders you will obey. As soon as Brig .- Gen. Runyon shall surren- der the transports into your charge, you will return with them without delay to the ports where they respectively belong and deliver them to the parties from whom they were obtained.
" I am, sir, yours, &c. " CHAS. S. OLDEN, Commander-in-Chief."
The following letter shows how Capt. Loper carried out this order :
"STATE OF NEW JERSEY, " EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, " TRENTON, May 7, 1861.
"CAPt. R. F. LOPER :
" Dear Sir,-Permit me to tender you my thanks for the great service you have rendered New Jersey in the transportation of the troops lately despatched. I must attribute, to a very great extent, the success of the expedition to your services in the providing, equipping, and command- ing the Fleet. You will also please convey to your son my thanks for the very valuable assistance rendered by him.
"Very respectfully your obedient servant, " CHAS. S. OLDEN."
Again, on Dec. 26, 1861, Capt. Loper was called upon :
" CAPT. R. F. LOPER, Philadelphia."
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
" PHILADELPHIA, December 26, 186t. "CAPT. R. F. LOPER :
" Dear Sir,-I am requested by General A. E. Burnside (by Telegraph) to ask you to go at once to Annapolis. You will oblige me by doing so, and by aiding him in any way he may desire.
" Yours very respectfully
" JOHN TUCKER, Asst. Sec. of War."
Capt. Loper went to Annapolis, and the services rendered were acknowledged by Gen. Burnside in the following letter :
" ANNAPOLIS, January 7, 1862.
" HON. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War, Washington.
" Dear Sir,-I beg leave to express to you my hearty appreciation of the services rendered me in fitting out the Expedition under my com- mand by Capt. R. F. Loper. The interest and zeal manifested by this gen- tleman in this work has been constant and untiring, and he has in every instance fully answered every demand made upon his skill and patience.
" I most cheerfully acknowledge my obligations to him, and take great pleasure in recommending him as a competent and efficient man, whose experience and mature judgment cannot fait to be of great service in any case of emergency.
" Yours very truly, " A. E. BURNSIDE, Brigadier-General."
In March, Capt. Loper went to Alexandria to assist in moving the Army of the Potomac, and received the following authority :
" ALEXANDRIA, VA., March 25, 1862.
"This is to certify that Capt. Loper is a duly authorized agent of the Quartermaster's Department, and empowered to act in my name as may best suit his judgment. It is the wish of the Secretary of War, as well as mine, that his advice be respected.
" RUFUS INGALLS, Lieutenant-Colonel A.D.C."
After the army was moved, and being about to re- turn to Philadelphia, Capt. Loper received the fol- lowing letter :
" ALEXANDRIA, April 2, 1862.
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-I have now transferred my vessels, etc., to Col. Rucker and Lieut. Ferguson, and shall leave this evening. Both these officers greatly desire your assistance until Gen. McDowell's command has embarked. 1 trust you will add to existing obligations a few days more of your valuable counsel and personal supervision. In making this request I claim it is a cheerful duty to express to you how profoundly sensible I am of your generous aid to me.
" I hardly know what I could have done without you, while with your assistance we have achieved an unparalleled success in the embarkation of troops. I hope Col. Rucker will have as good fortune. I hope to see you again and again for long years to come, and fervently trust your days will be long here, where your abilities, kind-heartedness, and char- ities are so well appreciated. Let us both have faith to believe and ex- pect that peace and prosperity will soon be restored to our afflicted country. Visit us when you can, and let me hear from you at your leisure.
" In haste, yours truly, " RUFUS INGALLS, Lieutenant-Colonel A.D.C."
On the 22d of December, 1862, a select committee of the Senate, with J. W. Grimes as chairman, was appointed to investigate the chartering of transports for army transportation. After making their report they placed it in the hands of the Hon. Wm. Whiting, solicitor of the War Department. This report reflected upon the actions of Capt. Loper while acting as trans- port agent of the government. Capt. Loper had up to this time given ltis services to the government and paid his own traveling expenses (never charging or receiving one dollar for services rendered or traveling expenses). He immediately withdrew from the posi- tion and awaited the action of the solicitor. After waiting until 1865 he received the following letter,
engrossed upon parchment, as a present from Senator J. W. Grimes :
" WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 1865. " HON. J. W. GRIMES, U. S. Senate :
" MY DEAR SIR,-I have just received your note of to-day, inquiring whether I have examined into the transactions of Capt. R. F. Loper with and for the government in connection with army transportation, and requesting me, if willing, to communicate the result of such exami- nation. Capt. Loper's transactions were brought to my attention through the Quartermaster's Department, to which he had presented claims for adjustment, and also by the report of the committee of the Senate referred to me by the Secretary of War. As great frauds had been committed by certain persons on that department, suspicion had fallen on many others, and the government was anxious to protect itself as far as possible from injustice by a searching examination of the trans- actions relating to the chartering of vessels for transportations.
"From the great respect I entertained for the committee who investi- gated and reported on these subjects, and with whose conclusions on the facts as presented to them I generally agreed, I was led to believe that Capt. Loper's conduct had been censurable, although not such as would subject him to legal liability to the United States.
" But during my investigation of his case a large mass of evidence was disclosed which had not been made known to the committee, nor until then to the department. From my examination of all the facts in the case I was brought to the unbesitating conclusion that Capt. Loper's conduct in his transactions with the government had been honest, hon- orable, and patriotic, and that he was entitled to the respect and confi- dence of the government and the country.
" Very respectfully your obedient servant, " WILLIAM WHITING, " Solicitor of the War Department.
" The conclusion of Solicitor Whiting stated above is approved by me.
" A. LINCOLN.
" April 12, 1865.
" The above is a true copy.
" WILLIAM WHITING, " Solicitor of the War Department."
The indorsement by President Lincoln is written in his own hand.
In 1855, Capt. Loper joined the New York Yacht Club, and continued a member until 1878. During that time he built and owned some of the fastest yachts in American waters, the first being the schooner " America," of sixty tons (not the Steer's " America," of Queen's Cup fame); next the schooner " Madgie," one hundred and twelve tons, now called the "Magic," and winner of more prizes than any other yacht in the club; then the schooner "Josephine," of one hundred and forty-five tons ; then the celebrated clip- per-yacht "Palmer," one hundred and ninety-four tons; and last the schooner-yacht "Madgie," one hundred and sixty-four tons. In 1870 the " Madgie" came in fourth in the Queen's Cup race, beating the English schooner "Cambria." The following year she won the Challenge Cup for schooners from the New York Yacht Club, over the ocean course at Newport. All of the above yachts were modeled and designed by Capt. Loper, the models being made or altered by his own hands, as well as all the vessels built by him.
April, 1870, Capt. Loper retired from active busi- ness and removed with his family to his native town, where he spent the remaining years of his life. In the latter part of October, 1880, he went to New York to spend the winter, but was taken away from the scenes of his great business career on the 8th day of November following.
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STONINGTON.
" Names of vessels of which the hulls or machinery were built by the Penn Works, Philadelphia, Pa., under the orders of Capt. R. F. Loper, from 1847 to 1866.
" New Haven.
Fashion. Nonpareil.
Parker Vein. Georgis Creek. Picket.
Erie. William Penn.
Anthracite.
Hartford.
Dashing Wave.
Granite State. Eclipse.
Commodore Stockton.
Mount Savage.
Novelty.
Victoria.
Virginia.
John Stevens.
L. G. Cannon. Ironsides.
Eastern State.
Vulcan.
J. R. Thompson.
Express.
Westernport.
C. H. Harwell.
Arispe.
General Meigs.
Cayuga. Experiment. Albany. Middlesex.
Josephine (2).
Colonel Rucker.
" Representing 9846 tons, O. M.
"From the foregoing list of steamers (which by no means represents all that were built to the orders of Capt. R. F. Loper, as he largely built at various other establishments) it will serve in a measure to impress any one with the fact that he was a pioneer in the use of steam vessels of all descriptions. The shipping interests of this country have been greatly benefited by the experience gained in carrying out his enter- prises, which have served as landmarks to guide others who have em- barked in the same business.
" Yours truly, " NEAFIE AND LEVY, Philadelphia.
" Oct. 18, 1881."
" WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 19, 1881.
"DEAR SIR,-Absence from home has prevented an earlier reply to your favor of the 13th instant.
" We now, however, take pleasure in giving you the desired informa- tion concerning the boats which we built for Capt. R. F. Loper.
"Steamer ' Thomas Sparks,' 600 tons, 1853.
66
' Planet,' 390 “ 1854.
' Sophia,'
390 “ 1854.
66 'General Burnside,' 650 “ 1861.
" We trust these points will be found to cover the required data.
"We refer with great pleasure to our business intercourse with Capt. R. F. Loper, for whom we always entertained the highest regard. We know of no man who in his day contributed more to the development of steam transportation than he. We might, indeed, say that he was the father of the freight propeller and pioneer in the steam transportation business.
" Very truly, etc., "HARLAN AND HOLLINGSWORTH COMPANY, " Per J. T. GAUSE, Vice-President."
" NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 1881.
" DEAR SIR,-Regarding the design of a composite hull of a vessel, that is, iron frame and wood planking, Capt. R. F. Loper was the first person whoever brought it to my notice (1847), and I am fully of the conviction that the design was original with him. He obtained letters patent for the invention, and I have not known his claim to be disputed. This construction has been successfully adopted both in this country and Europe, and I have very lately applied it with full success and satis- faction.
" Respectfully, " CHAS. H. HASWELL."
William Chesebrough, the first white man who made what is now Stonington, in Connecticut, his per- manent place of abode, was born in Boston, Lincoln- shire, England, in the year 1594, where he married Anna Stevenson, Dec. 6, 1620. He was a gunsmith, and worked at his trade in England and in this country until he came to Stonington, in 1649, when he changed his occupation to that of farming and stock-raising, occupying and improving the large
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