Tench Tilghman - Later Life and Death

Later Life and Death

The American Revolutionary War was a war in which disease was a major killer. University of Illinois at Chicago writes: "Disease killed far more soldiers than did combat. Of the 100,000 to 150,000 men who served in U.S. forces at one time or another, about 6,800 died in battle, while disease 10,000 in camp and 8,500 in British prisons." Tench was among those who contracted disease during the war. Congress rewarded Tench’s merits and Washington had high trust in the man, as they were shown painted side by side The National Park Service writes that Tilghman was even sick during his ride from Yorktown to Philadelphia "with chills and fever" and that "Tilghman left the army in 1783 his health was failing" leading to his death "in 1786 his 42nd year."

Even so, a letter from the Oxford Museum describes that Tench restarted his business after the war ended. The museum writes: "The letter...refers to an ongoing personal and business relationship in which Tilghman shipped wheat, tobacco and other American products to Spain, and Riera shipped wine and manufactured products to Baltimore, using “bills of exchange” of their respective ships’ cargoes."

George Washington’s letters to brother Richard Tilghman on May 10th,1786 shows his fondness for Tilghman:

As there were few man for whom I had a warmer friendship or greater regard for your brother Colonel Tilghman—when living; so, with much truth I can assure you that there are whose death I could have more sincerely regretted—And I pray you and his numerous friends to permit me to mingle my sorrows with theirs on this unexpected and melancholy occasion.

About a month later, on June 5, 1786 he writes to Richard Tilghman:

...none could have felt his death with more regard than I did, because no one entertained a higher opinion of his worth.

Tench Tilghman is buried in the Oxford, Maryland cemetery. The horizontal lid on his grave vault references his achievements under Washington. A plaque epoxied to the stone lid of his grave references that his remains were reinterred from Baltimore on November 30, 1971. Adjacent to his grave the Tench Tilghman Monument can be found. The monument is a spire, approximately 10 feet tall. It is the tallest monument at the historic Oxford cemetery.