17 – Sunday, Hot day, Therm. 90 ~ Rode with S. Sterett to dine at D.A. Smiths & afterwards call’d at Mr. Wirgmans & Mr. Merediths. Sam. Bowly breakfasted & din’d at Clifton~
From the journal of Captain Henry Thompson, July 17, 1814. Courtesy the Friends of Clifton.
July 17.
Passed through the Caycos passage.
From the journal of the Privateer Armed Schooner Lawrence, July 17, 1814. Maryland Historical Magazine, Volume 3, Number 2, June 1908, p. 171-176.
on July 17th
The first part of these 24 hours Commences fresh breezes and hazy weather. At 1 PM saw a ship bearing SSW standing to the westward. Made sail in Chase. At 4 PM saw several Islands of Ice coming on thick fog. Hove too. At 30 minutes past 6 saw several sail but the fog being so thick could not make them out. At 8 wove ship and reefed the mainsail and F. Topsail and took in the Foresail. Hove too to wait for daylight. At 5 AM sent down (?M. T. Jibyard?) and took in the Fore Topsail. At 9 set the (???) Flying Jib. at 10 thick fog saw large lumps of Ice on our lee bow wove ship and cleared it. So Ends. No Obs. this day.
From the Schooner Mammoth Logs, 1814. MS 3082, H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Maryland Historical Society.
On July 17, 1814, Maryland native James Haines McCulloh, Jr., (1793-1870) received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a final essay on the castor-oil plant.
Back in early May, Baltimore judge Joseph Nicholson wrote to Thomas Jefferson hoping to arrange an introduction for McCulloh who shared Jefferson’s interest in the “aboriginal history” of the United States. McCulloh’s visit to Monticello had to wait, however, as he soon received a commission in the U.S. Army as Garrison Surgeon at Fort McHenry.