LJl7 A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE LATE DR WILLIAM JOI^ES, BEAD BEFORE THE ASSOCIATION OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, BY JOHN B. BLAKE, M. D., DECEIIMIBEK. 4, 1867. 'L WASHINGTON, D. C: McGILL & WITIIEROW, PRINTEIIS AND STEREOTYPERS. 1867. Book ^ n A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH L- OF THE LATE DE. WILLIAM JOIS^ES, LLl EEAD BEFORE THE 0^/ / ASSOCIATION OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS OF THE DISTRICT OP COLUMBIA, BY JOHN B. BLAKE, M. D., XJECJEiyEBEI?, 4, 1SG7. WASHINGTON, D. C: McGILL k WITIIEROW, PRINTERS AND STEREOTYPERS. 1867. / '"> BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. Dr. William Jones, the subject of this brief Bio- graphical Sketch, was born April 12th, 1790, near Rockville, the county town of Montgomery county, in the State of Maryland. His father, the late Evan Jones, was a substantial farmer, and much respected and esteemed by his neighbors and fellow-citizens gen- erally. He had intended his son William for the same pursuit which he followed ; but an accidental circum- stance diverted his attention, and resulted in making a professional man of him. The late Rev. John Breck- enridge, a Presbyterian clergyman, kept a classical school on his farm, near Washington city, now known as "Harewood," the property of Mr. W. W. Corcoran, and he was in the habit of performing divine service at several points in the surrounding country within convenient distance of his residence. A small Pres- byterian meeting-house, in the vicinity of the Great Falls of the Potomac, generally known as "Cabin John Chapel," was occasionally favored with his ministerial offices, and after having preached at this chapel on a Sabbath, and in returning home early the next morn- ing, he overtook young Jones, who was on his way to the mill. He entered into conversation with him, and being most favorably impressed by the sprightly intellect and great intelligence of the youth, he ascertained from him the name and residence of his father, and promised, when next in the neighborhood, to call and see him. It was not long before he had an opportunit}^ of redeem- ing his promise. In his interview with the father, he urged him to abandon the intention of making his son a farmer, as he was physically disqualified for the hard labor of agricultural life, and prevailed upon him to give the boy a liberal education, with the view of devoting him to one of the learned professions. It was agreed between them that William should become a pupil of Mr. Breckenridge, and as soon as it was pos- sible to get him ready for leaving home, he was sent to the academy of the reverend gentleman. The pupils of this school were the sons of residents in Washing- ton and Georgetown and the adjoining country, and many of them have been among our most respected and valuable citizens. Young Jones grew in favor with his preceptor by his respectful conduct, his application to his studies, and his rapid advancement. His school- mates entertained for him the warmest friendship, re- sulting from his genial disposition and gentlemanly bearing towards them. The rivalry of scholarship engendered no unkind feelings between them, and all rejoiced at the progress and success of their young friend. After having been at this school for about two years, Mr. Breckenridge was elected Principal of the llockville Academy, which had just been erected, and having accepted the position, young Jones was transferred to that institution, that he might continue under the instruction of the reverend gentleman, who had manifested such a deep interest in his welfare. The Rockville Academy soon acquired a high reputa- tion under the direction of Mr. Breckenridge, and many of the prominent men of that section of the State were either prepared for college or wholly educated at it. One of the only three survivors, who attended the academy at the same time with Dr. Jones, in a let- ter recently addressed to the author of this memoir, gives the following account of his connection with the school : *' I was entered as a pupil about the year 1808 or 1809, on the day the building was first opened in which the academy was then and is still kept, and I think that Jones, who was several years my senior, was entered about the same time, and we continued in the academy about two years, or perhaps a little more, chiefly engaged in learning the Latin and Greek lan- guages. The school averaged about fifty or sixty in number, and among them many nearly full-grown youths. Our teacher was very successful in impress- ing us with the importance of learning, and in pointing out the beauties of the authors we were studying, and in general we were diligent students, and correct in manners and deportment. There was an annual exam- ination of the pupils of the academy just before the commencement of the August vacations, which was fol- lowed by an exhibition, at which we delivered speeches and took part in dialogues, or in acting short plays, which was a gay season, and attracted large crowds, and among them the beauty and fashion of the sur- rounding country. The subject of your inquiry (Dr. Jones) always acquitted himself with the best, whether in school or at these annual trials. His manners were agreeable and courteous, for which we, who have also known him in later life, have alwa^^s found him to be distinguished." Mr. Breckenridge, whilst Principal of the Rockville Academy, continued to discharge his duties as a mis- sionary, appointed by the Presbytery of Baltimore, and kept together a little flock he had collected in AYash- ington; and, in 1810, he resigned his position in the academy and resumed his residence on his farm con- tiguous to the city, and commenced the erection of the building formerly known as the "Little White Chapel Under tlie Hill," but now as " Bethel Meeting-Honse," a celebrated place of worship for colored people. The chapel was finished and consecrated in 1812, and Mr. Breckenridge was duly installed as its pastor, and con- tinued in the discharge of its duties in an acceptable manner -until September, 1817, when, being admon- ished by advancing years and feeble health that he should rest from his labors, he tendered his resignation of the charge, which however was not accepted until the follovfing May. From the "Little White Chapel Under the Hill " sprang the magnificent edifice of the First Presbyterian Church, on Four-and-a-Half street, and its large and respectable congregation, of which Dr. Byron Sunderland is the pastor. When Mr. Breckenridge retired from the Bockville Academy, young Jones entered, as a student of medi- cine, the office of Dr. Wm. Tyler, of Fredericktown, Maryland, who was one of the most skillful and emi- nent physicians of the State. By his close application to his studies, his ready apprehension and rapid pro- gress, and his deferential and gentlemanly demeanor, he soon became as great a favorite with Dr. Tyler as he had been with Mr. Breckenridge. The doctor, in after years, always regarded him with pride as his pupil, and the warm friendship existing between them never suffered an}' abatement. Dr. Jones attended a course of lectures in the University of Pennsylvania, and had the advantage of the instruction of the great lights of the profession — Rush, Physic, Wistar, and their distinguished colleagues ; and there he manifested his usual indefatigable assiduity and thirst for know- ledge. On returning home, during the recess, and finding that there was a great demand for surgeons in the army, owing to the then existing war with Great Britain, he appeared before the " Medical and Chirur- gical Faculty of Maryland '' for examination, acquitted himself in the most satisfactory manner, and received the degree of "licentiate of medicine.'' Thereupon he applied for an assistant surgeon's appointment in the army, which was readily granted on the strong recommendations of character and competency that accompanied his application, and he was assigned to duty with the army in and about Washington. The alacrity with which he discharged his duties, the deep interest he manifested for his patients, and his skillful and successful treatment of diseases, soon directed at- tention to him as a most promising physician, and the utmost confidence was reposed in him by the officers and men of the division to which he was attached. After the capture and evacuation of Washington by the enemy, the row of brick houses on P street south, immediately fronting the Arsenal grounds, and others in the vicinity, were taken possession of by the Government and used as hospitals for the accommoda- tion of sick and wounded soldiers. Dr. James H. Blake, a prominent physician, and mayor of the city, was ap- pointed by President Madison as visiting medical intendent of these hospitals, and some dozen or more assistant surgeons of the army were ordered to them on duty. Among them was Dr. Jones ; and it was there that he m.ade the acquaintance of Dr. Blake, who, on close observation of his personal deportment and professional skill, formed an exalted opinion of his worth as a gentleman and phj^sician. When the army was reduced, in 1815, Dr. Jones was among the num- ber retained in the service on the recommendation of the board of officers established to determine the merits and claims of officers, with the view of securing to the service those most likely to preserve and promote its efficiency. On receiving intimation that he would soon 8 be ordered to a distant post, and being about to visit his home, he called to take leave of Dr. Blake, to whom he had become very much attached. In the course of the conversation that ensued between them, the doctor inquired of him if he contemplated passing his life in the service, to which he responded that he entertained no such intention, but, on the contrary, designed to avail himself of the first favorable opportunity to en- gage in private practice. Dr. Blake then remarked to him, "You are aware that I have a very large prac- tice, and, as I begin to feel the infirmities of age, I am satisfied it is too burdensome for me, and that 1 ought to have an assistant ; therefore, if you are disposed at this time to relinquish your position in the army and enter into private practice, I will form a partnership and divide my business with you. But, before receiv- ing your assent, I should like you to consult your friends upon the subject." Dr. Jones had no expecta- tion of such an offer, and was much gratified with the compliment it conveyed, but said he would act upon the doctor's suggestion, and confer with his friends be- fore giving a decided answer. After a short visit to his home in the country, he returned to Washington, resigned his commission in the army, and in a few days the firm of Blake and Jones was announced to the public. Dr. Jones was well received by the citi- zens of Washington in his professional and social rela- tions, and soon ranked among the foremost of the faculty, and was esteemed in society among the most respectable of its citizens. His partner died in the summer of 1819, and he succeeded to and retained the large practice of the firm. He was married December 21st, 1821, to Sarah L. Corcoran, a daughter of the late Thomas Corcoran, Sr., of Georgetown, a highly respectable and popular gentleman, who had been the mayor of the town. Mrs. Jones was an amiable and charming lady, and sought to accomplish her own happiness by promoting that of her husband. She departed this life Septem- ber 24th, 1843, after a long illness, during which he was most constant and devoted in his attentions to her. Possessing popular manners, Dr. Jones was selected, much against his will, as a candidate for the city coun- cils, and was elected without difficulty. Finding that the faithful discharge of its duties would interfere with his professional pursuits, he declined a re-election, and no persuasion could induce him to relinquish his deter- mination not to allow his name to be again used as a can- didate for that or any other office under the corporation. He confined himself exclusively to his profession, and from over-work and exposure to inclement w^eather, night and day, he had several severe spells of sickness, which were near terminating his mortal existence be- fore he had attained the meridian of manhood. On the 10th of March, 1824, a rumor was rife through the city that a miraculous cure had been wrought on Mrs. Ann Mattingly, through the intercession of Prince Hohenlohe, a Catholic priest, at Bamberg, in Germany. She had been confined to her room for six 3'ears, with a painful tumor in her left breast, the precise nature of which could not be determined by her attending, or the several consulting physicians, who had at different periods during her illness been called in to consider her case. Her general health was wretched, and her suf- ferings intense, and she had become exceedingly ema- ciated, so much so, that she was perfectly helpless, and her death was looked for almost daily. Up to the moment of her wonderful relief from her sufferings, it was stated, she thought herself dying, when in an instant all her pains left her, and she arose from her 10 bed, dressed herself, and appeared in good health, the tumor and all other evidences of her recent illness having disappeared, with the exception of her emacia- tion. She was a sister of the late Capt. Thomas Car- berry, who w^as at that time mayor of the city; and he and other members of her family, and a number of intimate friends, among the most respectable residents in Washington, testified to the truth of these state- ments. Dr. Jones was the family physician, and had attended her throughout her sickness. He had advised the family, that in his judgment and that of the con- sulting ph3^sicians, the disease was incurable, and that all that could be done was to administer palliatives to diminish her pain and afford her slight temporary relief. A request was made of him for a statement of her case, with which he cheerfully complied, although no believer in modern miracles. He had not seen her for five days before the occurrence of her miraculous recovery, when Capt. Carberr}' stopped at liis house and assured him that his patient was wqII. He closed his statement as follows : "I called, and to my great surprise and grati- fication, she met me at her chamber door, in apparent health.'' Hundreds of persons of all religious per- suasions visited Mrs. Mattingly, and all came away amazed, and utterly unable to account for her wonder- ful cure, except upon the hypothesis of the members of her own faith, that it was a miracle accomplished through the prayers and intercession of Prince Hohen- lohe, which those of a different faith were unwilling to concede. A full and minute account of this reputed miracle is to be found in the third volume of the works of the distinguished first bishop of Charleston, the Right Reverend John England. In the winter of 1823 and 1824, Wm. H. Crawford, then Secretary of the Treasury, was nominated by the 11 congressional caucus as the democratic candidate for tlie presidency, and during the canvass he was taken dangerously ill, and Dr. Jones was called in as one of his phj^sicians. Great interest was excited throughout the country in his case, and the most eminent men of the profession in Philadelphia and Baltimore were summoned to his bed-side in consultation. Dr. Jones, though but comparatively a young man, appeared to no disadvantage among that array of distinguished medical talent and skill, and impressed all who partici- pated in the consultations most favorably of his ability and knowledge as a physician. His attendance upon Mr. Crawford brought him into the societ}^ of the lead- ing statesmen of that day, and lie then acquired a taste for national politics. John Quincy Adams having been elected President by the House of Representatives, the Jackson party was immediately organized in opposi- tion to his administration, and the contest was excit- ing and bitter. Dr. Jones espoused the cause of the hero of N'ew Orleans, and was a member of the noted Jackson central committee, of which Gen. John P. Van Kess was president, and Capt. Henry C. IN'eale, secretary. The committee was composed of gentle- men among the most prominent citizens of Washington and Georgetown, and the addresses sent forth from it told with killing effect throughout the countrj^ upon the opposite party. Gen. Jackson was triumphantly elected, and on the 20th of April, 1829, he appointed Dr. Jones the postmaster of Washington, which situa- tion he held until the 23d of March, 1839, being a period of nine years and nearly eleven months. He was again appointed to the same ofiice Julj- 10, 1841, and held it until March 31, 1845, a period of three years and eight months. On March 30, 1858, the same office was for the third time conferred upon him, 12 and he occupied it until May' 10, 1861, a period of three years and one month. The whole period of his incumbency of the office was sixteen years and eight months, and in all that time he discharged the duties with an ability and fideUty unsurpassed, and gave sat- isfaction to the Government and community. In the distribution of the mails, and forwarding newspapers and public documents, he showed no favor; friends and opponents were treated alike, and all had confi- dence in the fairness with which the office was con- ducted. President Jackson held Dr. Jones in high estima- tion, and reposed in him the utmost confidence. Pres- ident Tyler entertained the same opinion of him, and towards the close of his administration remarked to a number of gentlemen that Dr. Jones and Col. Thomas H. Blake, then the Commissioner of the General Land Office, were his only friends who liad the candor and manliness to tell him that in their judgments he had not the least chance of a re-nomination for the Presidency. President Buchanan and Dr. Jones had been long friends, and from no promptings but his own kind feel- ings for him and his personal knowledge of his peculiar fitness for the office, he conferred the postmaster's ap- pointment upon him. During the long period Dr. Jones was in public life, he made the acquaintance of most of the prominent statesmen of his day, and was on terms of intimacy with a great number of them. They had confidence in his judgment and foresight, and admired him for his frankness and sincerity. He never flattered any one, but spoke his mind freely; and if in doing so he in- flicted a wound, however much he might regret it, he had the approbation of his own conscience for not sac- rificing truth to policy. 13 Whilst Dr. Jones was in public service, although he earnestly desired to relinquish entirely the practice of his profession, there were very many of his old patients who were unwilling to give him up, and whenever they needed the services of a physician would send for him and insist upon his attending them. Owing to the great confidence in his skill and the consequent frequent demands for his services, he retained a close identity with the practicing members of the faculty, and took great interest in whatever tended to the pro- motion of medical science and the elevation of the profession. He was, until within a very late period, the president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, and also of the Medical Association of the District of Columbia, and his retirement from both sit- uations was voluntary, occasioned by a sense of his inability to attend the meetings with his accustomed punctuality, owing to advancing years. He practiced medicine upwards of fifty years, was one of the orig- inal members of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, chartered in 1S19, and was the last survivor of the number who suggested and organized that re- spectable and venerable institution. His never-flagging attention to his patients, and deep solicitude for them, connected with a ready and accurate diagnosis of dis- ease and skillful treatment, caused his practice to be attended with marked success. Dr. Jones was a member of the Washington Monu- ment Society, and was exceedingly solicitous for the completion of that great work, which will commemo- rate the gratitude of the nation, as well as the virtues of the world-wide renowned patriot in whose memory it is to be erected. He was scrupulously punctual in at- tendance upon the meetings, and took an active part in their proceedings. That society has publicly expressed 14 in appropriate and feeling terms the sense of the loss it has sustained in his death. He was also a member of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, and one of its respected and most cher- ished vice presidents. His regular attendance at its meetings was a subject of remark, considering his en- feebled condition, and he manifested the liveliest inter- est in all of its proceedings. It was a source of great pleasure to him to mingle with the members of the association, with most of whom he had been intimate- ly acquainted for years, and with some for more than a half century. He had a cordial grasp of the hand and a cheerful smile for all of them, and his conversation was of the most lively and interesting character. His memory of the early residents and incidents of the Dis- trict was surprising, and he would describe persons and transactions of years long past with the greatest accuracy and minuteness of detail. The eulogistic preamble and resolutions adopted by the society on the occasion of his death was a just tribute to his memory, and a fitting expression of the deep sense of the loss it had sustained. No one had more devoted friends than Dr. Jones. He was exceedingly affable, and' his pleasing manners and genial disposition made him a very attractive ac- quaintancCc His demeanor showed him to have been well bred, and, having had the advantages of the best society, he was an elegant and refined gentleman. A high-toned honor regulated his intercourse w^ith his fellow-men, and sterling integrity marked all his trans- actions. Dauntless courage and rigid adherence to truth were distinguishing features of his character. He was strictly moral, and a firm believer in the Chris- tian faith, the precepts of which he carried into prac- tice in the daily walks of life. Humane, benevolent, 15 and charitable feelings filled his heart and excited in him the deepest sympathy for the afflicted, the poor, and oppressed. He never made a charge for profess- ional services if he had reason to believe that it would subject his patient to inconvenience to pay for them, and only in one case did he ever resort to the courts for the collection of his dues, and that was under circumstances that left him no alternative. He was devoted to his adopted city, jealous of its good name, and whatever promised to promote its welfare kindled in him the most intense interest, and he was always ready to lend a helping hand to the accomplishment of the object. He saw with pride its recent rapid growth, and predicted for it a successful and prosperous future. His native State, and especially his native county, (Montgomery,) were very dear to him, and he mani- fested the greatest concern in whatever tended to their benefit, or in any other manner aftected their interests. Patriotism was a sentiment with him, and he sided with his country in every conflict, domestic or foreign, whether right or wrong. He regarded the Constitu- tion as the perfection of human wisdom, and the Union formed by it as a tower of strength. Subordi- nation of the military to the civil authorities was a cardinal principle with him, and nothing but to save the life of the nation would justify a recourse to mar- tial law ; and to continue the exercise of it after the emergency had ceased, was. in his judgment, treason- ably criminal. Dr. Jones was confined to his room only two or three days before his demise. He saw his end ap- proaching, and met it with perfect composure. Self- possessed to the last moment, he designated his pall-bearers and gave all necessary directions for his funeral. Two friends had called in to see him, and he 16 ' / , sat up in bed and conversed with them. When about to recline, he made, without assistance, a comfortable adjustment of his pillow, and, laying his head upon it, breathed his last in a few moments without a struggle. t " Without a sigh, A change of feature, or a shaded smile, He gave his hand to the stern messenger, And, as a glad child seeks its father's house. Went home. It was not meet Tliat he should longer tarry from that bliss ^ Which God reserveth for the pure in heart." His exit from life was so sudden and serene, that those present could scarcely realize that his spirit had taken its flight to that better land. Such were the last moments of a truly good man, with a conscience void of offence, leaving an hon- ored name that will long be remembered. This event occurred on the 25th of June, 1867. His funeral v/ as largely attended by the members of the several socie- ties to which he belonged, and by his fellow-citizens generally. A notable feature in the funeral cortege was the long train of buggies and other vehicles of physicians. Plis remains were taken to Oak-Hill Cem- etery, in Georgetown, for burial, and they now repose by the side of his beloved wife. IE N '10