Father/Daughter Duo Impress at DAR
O
n Friday February 11, details of how and when Truxtun following an introduction presented the “Defender” bowl to by staff historian Dave Washington are lost to history, Winkler, who spoke on progress the bowl was at Mount Vernon made on the Naval Documents of by the time of Washington’s 1799 the American Revolution series, death. Truxtun’s bowl remained in former NHF Executive Director his family through several generCapt. Todd Creekman and his ations, until one of the Commodaughter Amanda Isaac offered an dore’s descendants gifted the encore presentation to the board of “TT” bowl to the Naval Historical directors of the Daughters of the Foundation in the late 1940s. It American Revolution of one held was displayed in the Foundation’s at Mount Vernon last September. downtown Washington, D.C., The subject: two Chinese porcelain Truxtun–Decatur Museum and punch bowls that were commissubsequently the Navy’s national sioned in the late 18th century by museum at the Washington Navy Revolutionary War privateer hero Yard, where it remains today. The and postwar merchant ship captain, “GW” or “Defender” bowl had a Commo. Thomas Truxtun. In the more exciting journey through Amanda Isaac looks on as her father, former midst of overseeing construction history. Bequeathed at her 1802 Naval Historical Foundation Executive Director of Constellation, one of the U.S. death as “the bowl with the ship Capt. Todd Creekman presents Daughters of the Navy’s first six frigates, in the in it” by Martha Washington to American Revolution President General Denise 1795–1797 timeframe, Truxtun grandson George Washington VanBuren with a replica Truxtun Bowl. ordered two large punch bowls Parke Custis, the bowl passed to featuring a detailed Chinese his daughter Mary at his death in artist’s depiction of a 44-gun frigate rigged for war gracing the late 1850s. Mary had married young U.S. Army officer the bowls’ interiors. The bowls were exact duplicates, except Robert E. Lee in 1831, and their family was living at the for the outside decorative cartouches featuring Truxtun’s Custis estate at the outbreak of the Civil War. When Mrs. stylized initials “TT” on one bowl and our first president Lee and family left for Richmond, Virginia, after Virginia George Washington’s “GW” on the other. In addition, the seceded and her husband resigned his U.S. Army commisWashington Bowl has the word “Defender” added below sion, the bowl remained behind in the Lee residence, the ship image, likely Truxtun’s tribute to Washington’s Arlington House, during the war. It went missing during role as the Revolutionary War’s military victor. While the the property’s occupation by Union Army troops and emerged years later in New England. The Washington bowl returned to Mount Vernon in time for the 1976 Bicentennial. In 1981 an NHF member and Truxtun descendant happened to visit Mount Vernon and noted the similarity with the bowl in the Navy Museum, and the bowls were briefly reunited for the first time. Close coordination between NHF, the Navy Museum, and Mount Vernon Our Price: $160.00 facilitated a reunion last September at Mount Vernon to Sale Price: $112.00 closely examine and compare the two bowls with the assisSavings: $48.00 tance of modern technology. Captain Creekman and his daughter updated the gathered group at DAR Headquarters downtown on some of the similarities found between https://museumstore.navyhistory.org the two bowls and, of course, noted replicas of the “TT” bowl were available for sale at the Navy Museum gift shop.
Purchase Your Truxtun Bowl at the Navy Museum Store
Pull Together • Winter 2022
21
