Washington District of Columbia

Washington Navy Yard
Watchmen Payroll for October 1867
Furnished by : John Sharp

Payroll of Persons Employed at the U.S. Navy Yard Washington D.C.
for October 1867 (Watchmen)

The Washington Navy Yard first hired civilian watchmen in 1801 to guard against fire and theft. The early navy yard watchmen were essentially roving security hired to assist a small U.S. Marine contingent who stood fix posts at the main gate (now the ’Latrobe Gate”) and at the entrance to the WNY Commandant's residence. These watchmen were assigned to patrol the shipyard grounds and visually inspect all of the work shops after the evening tattoo. They would look for any open flame or any blacksmith fire not banked. In case of smoke or fire the watchmen were responsible to promptly sound the alarm and alert the Navy Yard. Since the shipyard stored large amounts of wood, turpentine, tar and manufactured ordnance fire was serious threat to its very survival. Michael Shiner Diary has many examples of such fires the following is from 1856.
A fire broke out in the Tank Shops in the Washington Navy Yard on the 7th day of February 1856 on Thursday about half past seven o'clock in the morning it was discovered by the watchman by the name of Lewis. The Anacostia Fire Company was there and exercised all the energy in extinguishing the fire the Columbia Fire Company was present and the Perseverance Fire Company was present and the American Fire Company was present. Commodore French Forrest was present and Captain Joseph Lawman and First Lieutenant G.B. Balch and Dr. Edwards was present and the master mechanics and the quarterman of the yard and the mechanics and laborers of all classes was present and worked with vigor in trying to extinguish the fire on the 7th day of February 1856 on Thursday.
The WNY guard force was also responsible for the protection of public property and to insure that the civilian workforce and visitors to the relatively open and large yard did not violate its regulations of conduct or attempt to remove items of commercial value. The WNY Commandants specifically listed as the responsibilities of the watchmen the following: (General Orders for the Regulation of the Navy Yard Washington, DC circa 1833 - 1850 National Archives and Records Administration)
33.The Countersign is to be demanded, by the sentinel at the Gate, of persons passing in and out of the Yard after tattoo - Officers Servants are to be passed in and out by the Watchman at the Flagstaff and each Servant is to be furnished (and none passed out with out it ) a written permit by his Master, or a pass, which in going out he is to leave with the Watchmen Aforesaid, to be returned by him next morning, or by his relief to the Officer whose name is on it. - The Servant is not to take it with him out of the yard neither is it to be given back to him when he returns it is to be kept by the Watchman. The passes to be written on a piece of paper & that pasted to a small board, which the Watchman can hang up in his box.
34. The Sergeant of the Guard immediately after taking charge of the Post, at the Gate, will report himself to the second officer in Command.
35. From the hours of Tattoo to Reveille, inclusive, the Sentinel on post at the gate, of this yard will, when the bell is struck, call ’All's Well” in a loud voice, to which the Watchmen will respond, and it shall be the Watchman will respond, and it shall be the duty of the Non Commissioned Officer of the Marines, at the Gate, to report tot he Executive Officer any failure to do this, on the part of the Watchman.
36. The Watchman of the Yard must not leave their posts, nor absent themselves from the Yard till regularly relieved. In case of sickness, or absence from whatever cause, a substitute must be provided for the time, to be approved of by the Executive Officer: for neglect of which that penalty will be dismissal.
37. Watchmen neglecting to relieve each other at regular hours are to be reported through the Executive Officer, to the Commandant.
38. Horse, Horse Carriages, or other Vehicles belonging to visitors, are not permitted to pass the Flag Staff, except those of the President of the United States, the Vice President, Members of the Cabinet, Members of the Congress, Foreign Legations, Chiefs of Bureaus & such as Ladies in them may be passed by the Commissioned Officers of the Yard. Visitors to offices of the Yard, when on foot, in carriages or on horseback, are to be permitted to enter and pass to their respective quarters by the Guard or Watchmen at all hours, without detention or interruption by the Guard or Watchmen. If after tattoo, the Sergeant of the Guard or Watchman will pass them in & accompany them to the Officers Quarters. This order includes Colored people who may desire to visit the officer's families.
40. Visitors must not enter into conversation with the workmen or otherwise withdraw their attention from their labor. Any visitor guilty of misconduct in the Yard must not be allowed to enter it again without special permission. Children must not be admitted unless accompanied by persons to take care of them.
Most WNY watchmen were retired or injured former servicemen. The following is a list from the WNY payroll for watchmen of October 1867 with some information derived from the 1870 US Census for District of Columbia and additional data from the records of the Congressional Cemetery.

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Names Occupation Number of
Days Worked Rate of Pay
Per day
Dollars and Cents Aggregate
Amount of Pay
Dollars and Cents

Albert Matheson Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

Ignatius Atchison Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

Jno Dethem Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

Albert Childs Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

Henry Meader Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

Jos Mundel Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

James Simmond Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

George Milton Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

William McCoy Watchmen 31 $ 2.25 $69.75

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William McCoy: : born New York circa 1813 William McCoy lived in the 5th Ward; with his wife Mary the couple owned property worth $ 2,000. William McCoy died sometime before 1880.
Henry Meader: : born Maryland 1807. On the 1870 DC census his son law, John Keithly, was also employed at WNY as a apprentice bricklayer, Henry Meader died sometime before 1880.
Joseph Mudell: : born in Antrim County Ireland in 1809. He immigrated to Philadelphia in 1827. He enlisted first in the United States Army and later joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in the Florida Seminole War and Mexican War. In all he served for 33 years rising to the rank of Marine Quartermaster Sergeant. After his retirement, he lived in Ward 6 and went to work at Washington Navy Yard as Watchmen. He and his wife Martha had 11 children. Two of his daughters Ellen and Anna worked for the U.S. Treasury as currency folders. In 1851 in a notorious case his 14 year old son Samuel Mundell was murdered by a fellow Marine. Two other sons Joseph and Jared Mundell both served in the Civil War. After the war his son Jared Mundell also went to work at WNY where he labored for over half a century before retiring in 1920 as the yard's oldest male employee. Joseph Mundell died on 9 September 1874 and is buried at Washington DC Congressional Cemetery (R35/ 178).