Joseph Ingraham | |
|---|---|
 Joseph Ingraham 1762-1800 | |
| Born | 1762 |
| Died | 1800 (aged 37–38) |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Battles / wars | American Revolutionary War Quasi-War |
Joseph Ingraham (1762–1800) was anAmerican sailor andmaritime fur trader who discovered several islands of theMarquesas Islands while on his way to trade along the west coast of North America. He was also a prisoner in theAmerican Revolutionary War and an officer in theUnited States Navy.
During the War of Independence, Ingraham was a sailor captured by theBritish. He spent part of the war on a prison ship.[1] In 1787, he was second mate aboard theColumbia Rediviva under the command ofJohn Kendrick when it sailed to the Pacific Northwest to engage in the fur trade.[2]
On September 16, 1790, Ingraham set sail fromBoston as captain of the brigHope.[3][4] The owners and investors of the ship and venture wereThomas Handasyd Perkins,Russell Sturgis,James andThomas Lamb, andJames Magee. These investors also owned theMargaret, which, under Captain James Magee, frequently sailed in company with theHope.[5][6] Ingraham's intention was to return to the northwest coast to partake in thefur trade.[4] Ingraham and his ship sailed aroundCape Horn on January 26, 1791.[7]Their next stop was atMadre de Dios Island inChile on April 14.[7] While in this Spanish port they took on some provisions before sailing north again.[7] A few days later, on April 19, 1792, Ingraham discovered a small uncharted island group.[4] These islands were situated roughly nine degrees south of theEquator.[8] Captain Ingraham named the group Washington Islands, and named many of the individual islands:WashingtonIsland for the president,Adams Island for the vice president, Federal Island,Franklin Island,KnoxIsland andLincoln Island for a general.[7] The island are approximately at 9° 20' south of the Equator and 140° 54' west ofGreenwich.[7] These islands are part of theMarquesas Islands. From the Marquesas archipelago, Ingraham sailed north to theSandwich Islands before sailing on to theQueen Charlotte Islands on the northwest coast of North America.[4]
After arriving off the coast of North America, Ingraham set about trading for the fur pelts he was sent to bargain for from the natives.[8] On September 26, 1792, Ingraham encountered his former captain, CaptainRobert Gray, captain of theColumbia, inNeah Bay offCape Flattery.[9] Gray was there to sell his small craft,Adventure, to the Spanish.Adventure was under the command of Ingraham's former shipmateRobert Haswell. The next day Ingraham andHope set sail with the Spanish vesselPrincesa that was sailing north toNootka Sound to deliver Spain's new administrator to that outpost.[10] After spending the summer trading for fur pelts from the natives along the coast, Ingraham sailed to China via the Sandwich Islands, and then back to Boston.[4] On the journey to the Chinese mainland the ship log shows the crew passing by the island ofFormosa.[8] This voyage was a commercial failure.[11]
During the United States' undeclaredQuasi-War withFrance in the late 1790s, Ingraham served as a naval officer.[12] He was a lieutenant, last appearing on Navy Department records on June 14, 1799.[12] Joseph Ingraham was lost at sea in fall 1800 while serving on theUSSPickering.[2]
Ingraham Bay and Ingraham Point, inAlaska, are named for Joseph Ingraham.[13][14]
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