James Hugh McCulloch (1756–1836), merchant and public official, graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in 1773 and apparently then joined his father in a mercantile firm in his native Philadelphia. He relocated to Maryland by 1782 and settled permanently in Baltimore the following year. A friend and political ally of Samuel Smith (of Maryland) and an “undeviating Republican,” McCulloch served in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1800 and in the state senate, 1801–05. With Smith’s backing, in 1808 he secured an appointment from TJ as collector of the port of Baltimore, a highly lucrative post that he retained until his death. During the War of 1812, McCulloch was wounded and captured during service as a volunteer at the September 1814 Battle of North Point. Having invested in privateers during this conflict with Great Britain, in the decade that followed he helped to frustrate federal efforts to end similar but illegal activities against Spanish ships by Baltimore vessels claiming to promote South American independence. McCulloch died at his home near Baltimore (Princetonians description begins James McLachlan and others, eds., Princetonians: A Biographical Dictionary, 1976–90, 5 vols. description ends , 1769–75, pp. 320–4; Trustees’ Minutes, College of New Jersey, 29 Sept. 1773 [NjP: Princeton University Archives]; Papenfuse, Maryland Public Officials description begins Edward C. Papenfuse and others, eds., An Historical List of Public Officials of Maryland, 1990– , 1 vol. description ends , 1:42, 143; McCulloch to TJ, 14 Oct. 1806 [MHi]; Smith to TJ, 29 Dec. 1806, 4 Apr. 1808 [DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1801–09]; JEP description begins Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States description ends , 2:79, 4:375, 392 [6, 7 Apr. 1808, 22 Mar., 24 Apr. 1834]; Baltimore Niles’ Weekly Register, 12 Nov. 1836).

The vessel carrying the consignment of wine was the Von (Van) Hollen. gro’: “gross.”