Duvall Gabriel


Scarce ALS by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Duvall, Recommending a Georgetown Rope Maker to Supervise Contracts for the Washington Navy Yard



Autograph Letter Signed, "G. Duval," as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 2 pages, 7.75" x 9.75", Washington, August, 14, 1813 to Secretary of the Navy, William Jones (1760-1831) recommending an associate for the post of "Navy Agent." Small loss at top left corner expertly repaired, expected folds, some of which are slightly weak, light marginal wear and toning, else very good.



Duval writes, in full: "Having been informed that a Navy Agent is to be appointed for the District of Columbia , and that Mr. Parrott is among the candidates recommended, I cannot hesitate to express my opinion of his competency & fitness for the station. Among those by whom Mr. Parrott is known, a recommendation would be unnecessary. As a citizen — a gentleman — and a merchant, he is respectable, and his moral character is exemplary: His merit, intelligence & usefulness are generally known and acknowledged; and his employment for many years past placed him in a situation which afforded him an opportunity of acquiring correct information on the subjects to which his attention as a Navy Agent will be drawn. I know of no person [more] qualified for the trust than Mr. Parrot; & I [have] no doubt he would discharge it with ability and fidelity and to the satisfaction of the public."



It would appear that Duval's recommendation carried some weight, as President Madison authorized an appointment for Richard Parrott, a Georgetown rope manufacturer, as Navy Agent on November 8, 1813. Parrott was chosen by Navy Secretary Jones to arrange contracts for ship construction and maintenance at the Washington Navy Yard—a responsibility that had up until then been left to the yard's commandant, Thomas Tingey, who, much to the annoyance of the secretary, kept very irregular financial records and had the unfortunate habit of awarding lucrative contracts to relatives who often didn't perform to the satisfaction of the service. Parrott's tenure was short, due more than likely from resistance from Tingey, who by the spring of 1814, was again personally writing contracts for the Washington Navy Yard (Senate Executive Journal, February 17, 1814; Gordon Brown, the Captain Who Burned His Ships: Thomas Tingey, USN, 1750-1829, 2013, ch. 5).



Gabriel Duvall had only been nominated as an Associate Justice in 1811, and served on the court until 1835. Duvall has the distinction of being the first Justice to stay on the bench in order to prevent an undesirable candidate from taking his place. Virtually deaf and blind by 1835, he reportedly left the bench only when he learned that fellow Marylander Roger B. Taney would receive the nomination.



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