TINGEY, Thomas (pronounced with g soft), naval officer, born in London, England, 11 September, 1750; died in Washington, D. C., 23 February, 1829. He served in the British navy, but came to this country before the Revolutionary war, and owned ships that were engaged in the East India trade. During the war he served in the Continental navy. He was selected as one of the six captains that were appointed on the organization of the United States navy on 3 September, 1798, and given the ship "Ganges," twenty-four guns, with the "Pinckney" and "South Carolina," forming a squadron, to guard the Mona passage in the West Indies during the war with France During July, 1799, he captured the French ships "Le Vainqueur," "Le Rabateuse," " L'Eugene," and "L'Esperance." In the same year, while off Cape Nicola Mole, he was boarded by a boat from the British frigate "Surprise," and all the Englishmen on board were demanded and also permission to examine the protections of the American seamen. Captain Tingey answered: "A public ship carries no protection for her men but her flag. I do not expect to succeed in the contest with you; but I will die at my quarters before a man shall be taken from the ship." The crew gave three hearty cheers, hastened with alacrity to their guns, and called for " Yankee Doodle." The captain of the "Surprise," on hearing the determination of the Americans, chose rather to pursue his course than to battle for dead men. Captain Tingey was discharged under the permanent naval-establishment act, but was reinstated on 23 November, 1804, after which he had command of the navy-yard at Washington until his death. When the capital was captured by the British, in the summer of 1814, the secretary of the navy ordered Commander Tingey to fire the navy-yard, which, with the sloop-of-war "Argus," five armed barges, two gunboats, and all the naval stores, was consigned to the flames. In this connection he writes to his daughter, under date of 17 September, 1814 : "I was the last officer who quitted the city after the enemy had possession of it, having fully performed all the orders received, in which was included that of myself retiring, and not to fall into their possession. I was also the first who returned and the only one who ventured in on the day on which they were peaceably masters of it." For fifty years he was connected with the navy of this country and for nearly thirty years had command of the Washington navy-yard.