Samuel Ringgold (January 15, 1770 – October 18, 1829), a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

, he served in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1810 to 1821 with the exception of one two-year absence, was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the Maryland militia during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

and father of two sons with distinguished military careers,

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

and Cadwalader.

Life and career

Born in

Chestertown, Maryland Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. History Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English col ...

, Ringgold received limited schooling, then moved to

Washington County, Maryland Washington County is located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,705. Its county seat is Hagerstown. Washington County was the first county in the United States to be named for the ...

, where he farmed and served on the vestry of Saint John's Church at Hagerstown, Maryland. By the time he was 25 he was elected to the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

(1795) and later served in the

Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single- ...

(1801–1806). He was a member of the

, representing the fourth district of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

from October 15, 1810, to March 3, 1815. Ringgold's military career included serving during the

, and serving as a

in the Maryland

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. He was again elected to the House of Representatives and served from March 4, 1817 to March 3, 1821. His first wife, Maria, was the daughter of Gen. John Cadwalader, who served in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

in the Revolutionary War. She died in 1811. Two years later, Samuel Ringgold married Marie Antoinette Hay, the mother of five of Ringgold's 11 children. Marie Antoinette Hay was the daughter of George Hay, U.S Attorney for the District of Virginia, who represented the Government in prosecuting Aaron Burr for treason. George Hay's second wife was Eliza Kortright Monroe, a daughter of President Monroe, and was step-mother to Marie Antoinette Hay. After Samuel Ringold's death Marie married a Robert Mackey Tidball. After he left Congress, Ringgold returned to his estate, Fountain Rock, which hosted the Chapel in the Woods and now is the site of Saint James School. Founded in 1842, Saint James is one of the oldest Episcopal boarding schools in the United States. He died in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...

, and is buried in Fountain Rock Cemetery, near

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States and the county seat of Washington County. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2020 census was 43,527, and the population of the Hagerstown metropolitan area (exten ...

Ringgold's children

Ringgold had three sons who served in the military and a daughter who married an army general. The most distinguished of his sons was

(1796–1846) was an officer in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

during the

Mexican-American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

War. Also distinguished was

Cadwalader Ringgold Cadwalader Ringgold (August 20, 1802 – April 29, 1867) 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 ...

(1802–1867), a naval officer who served in the United States Exploring Expedition in command of ''The Porpoise'' and later headed another expedition to the Pacific Northwest. He saw service in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

before retiring as a rear admiral. The stepson, George Hay Ringgold (1814–1864) was graduated at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1833, later left the Army to become a farmer but rejoined in 1846. He was in charge of the paymasters of the Department of the Pacific from 1861 till his death in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. George Hay Ringgold was buried at Calvary Cemetery, now part of Cypress Lawn in

San Mateo County, California San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City, California, Redwoo ...

. He was an accomplished scholar, draughtsman, and painter.Houston, Alan Fraser, "Cadwalader Ringgold, U. S. Navy" an article in ''California History'' magazine, Volume 79, Issue 4, Winter 2000, page 208. A daughter, the "beautiful and accomplished" Marie Antoinette Ringgold (daughter of the second wife and named after her), married the prominent Gen.

Henry Morris Naglee Henry Morris Naglee (January 15, 1815 – March 5, 1886) was a civil engineer, banker, vintner, and a Union General in the American Civil War. Life and career Naglee was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 15, 1815. He graduated from ...

in San Francisco on May 26, 1865, after her brother's death.Houston, Alan Fraser, "Cadwalader Ringgold, U. S. Navy" an article in ''California History'' magazine, Volume 79, Issue 4, Winter 2000, page 208; for the quote about her, Fraser cites, ''Alta California'' (newspaper), April 2, 1866, page 2

Family tree

References

External links

Biography of (son) Samuel Ringgold (Mexican War officer)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ringgold, Samuel 1770 births 1829 deaths Maryland state senators Members of the Maryland House of Delegates American militia generals Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland