Charles Wilkes

1798-1877

American Naval Officer

Charles Wilkes spent his entire working life in the United States Navy. He is best known for leading a four-year voyage of exploration that circled the globe, mapped large parts of the Pacific and Australia, and charted over 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) of the Antarctic coast. He also constructed and opened the forerunner of the U.S. Naval Observatory near Washington, D.C.

Wilkes was born in New York City in 1798 to John and Mary Wilkes. He joined the Navy in 1818, specializing in oceanography. One of his first assignments was to take charge of the recently established Depot of Charts and Instruments, upon which he began construction of a simple astronomical observatory. This grew to become the U.S. Naval Observatory, an important center for astronomical research for many years.

In 1838 Wilkes was given command of a six-ship expedition of discovery, the U.S. Surveying and Exploration Expedition. This expedition, which was to last four years and covered 87,000 miles (139,000 km), mapped large tracts of the Pacific, Australia, and Antarctica, endured severe weather, and returned thousands of scientific and anthropological specimens for further study.

Wilkes was actually the fourth or fifth person asked to lead this expedition, but those asked before him either refused or left. An officer with very little time at sea, Wilkes proved himself to be a strict disciplinarian, driving both himself and his crews rigorously throughout the expedition. Leaving the United States with six ships, Wilkes returned from the voyage having lost only one ship and 15 men.

Following his return, Wilkes found himself court-martialed for inaccurate records (one British ship was logged as sailing across a stretch of what Wilkes recorded as solid land), excessive discipline, and possible falsification of records. All of the charges brought against him were eventually dropped, with the exception of one—he ordered more than the allowed 12 lashes for six crewmen found guilty of theft. Angry and disappointed, Wilkes spent the next three years writing a five-volume narrative of his voyage, of which 100 printed copies were distributed.

At the start of the Civil War, Wilkes returned to active duty and was given command at sea. In 1861, in command of the San Jacinto, Wilkes intercepted the British steamer Trent inthe Caribbean and apprehended two Confederate agents, James Mason and John Slidell. The "Trent Affair" very nearly brought Great Britain into the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy and gained Wilkes more notoriety. Further commands followed as did several ill-advised comments against Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy. These comments led to Wilkes's court-martial for disobedience, disrespect, insubordination, and conduct unbecoming an officer. Found guilty on these counts, Wilkes was subjected to a public reprimand and was suspended from the Navy for a year.

Wilkes died in 1877 leaving a mixed legacy. His naval career was checkered, to say the least. Court-martialed, forced out of the Navy, and disliked by his men, Wilkes was hardly a model officer. Besides founding the Naval Observatory, Wilkes's only major accomplishment was leading the U.S. Surveying and Exploration Expedition. However, this was such a resounding success that it more than compensated for the rest of his career. Several American scientists earned international recognition because of their work during those four years and the collections Wilkes returned to the United States became a major part of the original holdings of the Smithsonian Museum when it opened. Based in large part on this expedition, Wilkes was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1866 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, his tombstone commemorating his discovery of the Antarctic continent.

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