Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer and explorer. He is particularly noted for his 1838–1842 Pacific expedition as well as for his role in the Trent Affair during the Civil War. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1056x1608, 188 KB) Admiral Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) Downloaded from : [[1]] File links The following pages link to this file: Charles Wilkes ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1056x1608, 188 KB) Admiral Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) Downloaded from : [[1]] File links The following pages link to this file: Charles Wilkes ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1798 (MDCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This list of explorers is sorted by surname. ... The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean (the Southern Seas) conducted by the United States Navy from 1838-1842. ... James Murray Mason John Slidell The Trent Affair, also known as the Mason and Slidell Affair, was an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

Early life and career

Wilkes was born in New York City, in 1798, as the great nephew of the former Lord Mayor of London John Wilkes. His mother was Mary Seton who died in 1802 while Charles was three years old. As a result, Charles was raised by his Aunt, Elizabeth Ann Seton, a convert to Roman Catholicism who was the first American-born woman to be canonized a saint by the Catholic Church. When Elizabeth was left widowed with five children, Charles was sent to a boarding school, and later attended Columbia College, now Columbia University. He entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1818, and became a lieutenant in 1826. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Former Lord Mayor of London John Stuttard during the parade on November 11, 2006 Michael Berry Savory, Lord Mayor 2004–2005 The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the Mayor of the City of London and head of the Corporation of London. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... St. ... A boarding school is a usually fee-charging school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live during term time, with their fellow students and possibly teachers. ... Columbia College is the main undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the universitys main campus of Morningside Heights in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York. ... Alma Mater Columbia University is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. ... USN redirects here. ... A midshipman is a subordinate officer, or alternatively a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the navies of several English-speaking countries. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ...

In 1833, for his survey of Narragansett Bay, he was placed in charge of the Navy's Department of Charts and Instruments, out of which developed the Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office. Wilkes interdisciplinary expedition (1838-1842) set a physical oceanography benchmark for its first superintendent Matthew Fontaine Maury. Narragansett Bay, shown in pink. ... USN redirects here. ... Aerial view of USNO. The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States. ... World Oceans Physical oceanography is the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters. ... Matthew Fontaine Maury Matthew Fontaine Maury (January 14, 1806 – February 1, 1873), USN - American astronomer, astrophysicist, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, educator. ...

The South Seas expedition

In 1838, although not a seasoned naval line officer, Wilkes was experienced in nautical survey work, and working with civilian scientists. Upon this background he was given command of the government exploring expedition "... for the purpose of exploring and surveying the Southern Ocean, ""as well to determine the existence of all doubtful islands and shoals, as to discover, and accurately fix, the position of those which [lay] in or near the track of our vessels in that quarter, and [might] have escaped the observation of scientific navigators."" The U.S. Exploring Squadron was authorized by act of the Congress on May 18, 1836. Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political...

The United States Exploring Expedition, commonly known as the Wilkes Expedition, included naturalists, botanists, a mineralogist, taxidermists, artists and a philologist, and was carried by the USS Vincennes (1826-1867)(780 tons) and Peacock (650 tons), the brig Porpoise (230 tons), the store-ship Relief, and two schooners, Sea Gull (110 tons) and Flying Fish (96 tons). The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean (the Southern Seas) conducted by the United States Navy from 1838-1842. ... Table of natural history, 1728 Cyclopaedia Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now often viewed as several distinct scientific disciplines of integrative organismal biology. ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Mineralogy is an earth science that involves the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. ... Taxidermy (Greek for the arrangement of the skin) is the art of mounting or reproducing animals for display or study. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... Philology is the study of ancient texts and languages. ... For other ships of the same name, see USS Vincennes. ... The Peacock of 1828 was rebuilt along the lines of the previous ship. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Brigantine. ... The second USS Porpoise was a hermaphrodite brig in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War. ... The first USS Relief was a supply ship in the United States Navy. ... Two-masted fishing schooner A schooner (IPA: ) is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. ... For other ships of the same name, see USS Sea Gull. ... The first USS Flying Fish (1838), a schooner, was formerly the New York pilot boat Independence; purchased at New York 3 August 1838; and upon joining her squadron in Hampton Roads 12 August 1838 was placed under command of Passed Midshipman S. R. Knox. ...

USS Vincennes in Disappointment Bay, Antarctica, during the Wilkes expedition.

Leaving Hampton Roads on August 18, 1838, it stopped at the Madeira Islands and Rio de Janeiro; visited Tierra del Fuego, Chile, Peru, the Tuamotu Archipelago, Samoa, and New South Wales; from Sydney sailed into the Antarctic Ocean in December 1839 and reported the discovery "of an Antarctic continent west of the Balleny Islands"; visited Fiji and the Hawaiian Islands in 1840, explored the west coast of the United States, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, the Columbia River, San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River, in 1841, and returned by way of the Philippines, the Sulu Archipelago, Borneo, Singapore, Polynesia and the Cape of Good Hope, reaching New York on June 10, 1842. USS Vincennes (1826) http://www. ... USS Vincennes (1826) http://www. ... This view from space in July 1996 shows portions of each of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads which generally surround the harbor area of Hampton Roads, which framed by the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel visible to the east (right), the Virginia Peninsula subregion to the north (top), and the... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Location Motto of the autonomous region: Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres (Portuguese: Of the islands, the most beautiful and free) Official language Portuguese Capital Funchal Other towns Porto Santo, Machico, Santa Cruz, Câmara de Lobos, Santana, Ribeira Brava, Caniço Area 797 km² Population  - Total (1991)  - Density... This article is about the Brazilian city. ... Tierra del Fuego Cerro Sombrero Village, Chile. ... Categories: Stub | Polynesia ... NSW redirects here. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... The Southern Ocean is the body of water encircling the continent of Antarctica. ... The Balleny Islands (66°55′ S 163°45′ E) form a chain of uninhabited, mainly volcanic, islands in the Southern Ocean streching from 66°15 to 67°35S and 162°30 to 165°00E. The group contains three main islands: Young, Buckle and Sturge, which lie in a... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawaii. ... The Strait of Juan de Fuca separates Vancouver Island of British Columbia from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. ... Puget Sound For the university in this region, see University of Puget Sound. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... The Sacramento River is the longest river in the U.S. state of California. ... Sulu Archipelago is an island chain in the southwest Philippines. ... Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. ... Carving from the ridgepole of a Māori house, ca 1840 Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... For other uses, see Cape of Good Hope (disambiguation). ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

After having completely encircled the globe (his was the last all-sail naval mission to do so), Wilkes had logged some 87,000 miles and lost two ships and 28 men. Wilkes was court-martialled on his return for the loss of one of his ships on the Columbia River bar, for the regular mistreatment of his subordinate officers, and for excessive punishment of his sailors. He was acquitted on all charges except that of illegally punishing men in his squadron. For a short time, he was attached to the Coast Survey, but from 1844 to 1861, he was chiefly engaged in preparing the report of the expedition. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ...

His Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition (5 volumes and an atlas) were published in 1844. He edited the scientific reports of the expedition (20 volumes and 11 atlases, 1844–1874) and was the author of Vol. XI (Meteorology) and Vol. XIII (Hydrography). // Meteorology (from Greek: μετέωρον, meteoron, high in the sky; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... Hydrography focuses on the measurement of physical characteristics of waters and marginal land. ...

Journal entry, August 6, 1841 Page 2

The Narrative contains much interesting material concerning the manners and customs and political and economic conditions in many places then little known. Wilkes's 1841 Map of the Oregon Territory pre-dated John Charles Fremont's first Oregon Trail pathfinder expedition guided by Kit Carson during 1842. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (676x1024, 59 KB) Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) - Journal entry, August 6, 1841 Page 2 Downloaded from Library of Congress : [[1]] File links The following pages link to this file: Charles Wilkes ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (676x1024, 59 KB) Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) - Journal entry, August 6, 1841 Page 2 Downloaded from Library of Congress : [[1]] File links The following pages link to this file: Charles Wilkes ... The Oregon Territory is the name applied both to the unorganized Oregon Country claimed by both the United States and Britain, as well as to the organized U.S. territory formed from it that existed between 1848 and 1859. ... John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813-July 13, 1890), birth name John Charles Fremon [Harvey, p. ... For other uses, see Oregon Trail (disambiguation). ... Kit Carson Christopher Houston Kit Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. ...

Pacific Northwest: 1841 Map of the Oregon Territory
from "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition." Philadelphia: 1845

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x703, 106 KB) Admiral Charles Wilkes Map of the Pacific Northwest from Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x703, 106 KB) Admiral Charles Wilkes Map of the Pacific Northwest from Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. ... The Pacific Northwest from space The Pacific Northwest, abbreviated PNW, or PacNW is a region in the northwest of North America. ...

Other valuable contributions were the three reports of James Dwight Dana on Zoophytes (1846), Geology (1849) and Crustacea (1852-1854). Moreover, the specimens and artifacts brought back by expedition scientists ultimately formed the foundation for the Smithsonian Institution collection. In addition to many shorter articles and reports, Wilkes published the major scientific works Western America, including California and Oregon in 1849, and Theory of the Winds in 1856. James Dwight Dana (February 12, 1813 - April 14, 1895) was an American geologist, mineralogist and zoologist. ... Zoophyte - mistake of nature. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For the Dutch band, see Crustacean (band). ... For a List of scientists, see: List of anthropologists List of astronomers List of biologists List of chemists List of computer scientists List of economists List of engineers List of geologists List of inventors List of mathematicians List of meteorologists List of physicists Scientist pairs List of scientist pairs See... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ...

The Civil War

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Wilkes (who had reached the rank of commander in 1843 and that of captain in 1855) was assigned to the command of the San Jacinto to search for the Confederate commerce destroyer Sumter. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The first USS San Jacinto was an early screw frigate in the United States Navy during the mid 1800s. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Religion... CSS Sumter, a 473-ton bark-rigged screw steam cruiser, was built as the merchant steamship Habana at Philadelphia in 1859 for McConnells New Orleans & Havana Line. ...

The Trent Affair

On November 8, 1861, he stopped the British mail packet Trent, and took off the Confederate commissioners to England, James Murray Mason and John Slidell. He later brought them to Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. Though he was officially thanked by Congress, his action was later disavowed by President Lincoln due to diplomatic pressure placed on the Administration by the British Government. His next service was in the James River flotilla, but after reaching the rank of commodore, on July 16, 1862, he was assigned to duty against blockade runners in the West Indies. is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The RMS Trent was a British mail packet. ... James M. Mason James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798 - April 28, 1871) was a United States Representative and United States Senator from Virginia. ... John Slidell (1793 – July 26, 1871), a native of New York City, moved to Louisiana and became a U.S. representative and a U.S. senator from that state in the mid-nineteenth century. ... Fort Warren defended the harbor at Boston, Massachusetts, for over 100 years. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... The James River at Cartersville The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 660 km (410 miles) long including its Jackson River source and drains a watershed comprising 27,019 km² (10,432 square miles). ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... A blockade runner is a ship designed to provide vital supplies to countries or areas blockaded by enemy forces during wartime. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ...

As part of these duties, he visited the British colony of Bermuda. Acting on his orders, however violating the British rule that allowed American naval vessels (of either side) to remain in port for a single day, Wilkes remained in port for nearly a week aboard his flagship the Wachusett, while his gunboats Tioga and Sonoma blockaded St. George harbour, a key Confederate blockade-runner base. The gunboats prevented a number of ships from leaving the harbour, and opened fire at a Royal Mail Steamer, the Merlin. The actions of "The Notorious Wilkes"—as local media branded him—convinced many that full-scale war between the United States and the United Kingdom was inevitable, though the British government had no wish to enjoin the conflict between the Union and Confederacy. The first Wachusett—one of seven screw sloops-of-war authorized by Congress in February 1861—was laid down by the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts, in June 1861; launched on 10 October; sponsored by Miss Mary C. Frothingham; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 3 March 1862, Commander... USS Tioga (1862) was a large steamer with powerful guns, acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. ... The first USS Sonoma was a side-wheel gunboat that served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. ... St. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

Promotion controversy

Despite his accomplishments, Wilkes acquired a reputation as sometimes arrogant and capricious. This may have been due to his open conflict with Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles. This conflict was due to Secretary Welles recommendation that Wilkes had been too old to receive the rank of commodore under the act then governing promotions, and resulted in Wilkes writing a scathing letter to the Secretary of the Navy. This controversy ended in his being court-martialled in 1864 and being found guilty of disobediance of orders, insubordination, and other specifications. He was sentenced to public reprimand and suspension for three years. However, President Lincoln reduced the suspension to one year and the balance of charges were dropped. On July 25, 1866, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral on the retired list. Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802–February 11, 1878) was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, including the entire duration of the American Civil War: his dedication to naval blockades was one of the key reasons for the Norths victory over the South. ... Flag of the United States Secretary of the Navy. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Last years

Some historians speculate, that Wilkes' obsessive behavior and harsh code of shipboard discipline reportedly shaped Herman Melville's characterization of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick^{[citation needed]}. Such speculation is not made mention of in the U.S. Naval historical archives. Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. ... For other uses, see Moby-Dick in popular culture. ...

In addition to his invaluable contribution to U.S. Naval history and scientific study in his official Narrative of the Exploration Squadron (6 volumes), Wilkes also authored an autobiography.

Wilkes died in Washington, D. C. on February 8, 1877 with the rank of Rear Admiral. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In August 1909, the United States paid its final tribute to Real Admiral Wilkes by moving his remains to Arlington National Cemetery. Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
• Arlington Cemetery Biography
• Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography
• John S. Jenkins, Explorations and Adventures in and around the Pacific and Antarctic Oceans;
• Voyage of the U.S. Exploring Squadron , Hurst & Co., Publishers, New York 1856
• U.S. Naval History Center Official biography of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes

• Smithsonian Digital Library Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, Charles Wilkes USN
• W. Bixby, The Forgotten Voyage of Charles Wilkes, 1966.
• R. Silverberg, Stormy Voyager, 1968.
• A. Gurney, The Race to the White Continent, 2000.
• N. Philbrick, Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842, 2003.
• Guide to the Charles Wilkes Papers, 1816-1876
• Wilkes, Charles (1851). Voyage round the world, Embracing the principal events of the narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. G.P. Putnam. 

Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS for short) is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every ship ever used by the United States Navy. ...

See also

• David Rumsey: 1844 Map of the Oregon Territory
• David Rumsey Historical Map Collection: Tickler