Edwin Jesse DeHaven (May 7, 1816May 1, 1865) was a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
officer and explorer of the first half of the 19th century who was best known for his command of the
First Grinnell expedition
The First Grinnell expedition of 1850 was the first American effort, financed by Henry Grinnell, to determine the fate of the lost Franklin's lost expedition, Franklin Northwest Passage expedition. Led by Lieutenant Edwin De Haven, the team ex ...
in 1850, which was directed to ascertain what had happened to the lost
Franklin Polar Expedition
Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845 aboard two ships, and , and was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the Northwest ...
.
Life
Born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
on May 7, 1816, De Haven became a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
at the age of 10, serving until 1857. From 1839 to 1842, he participated in the
Wilkes Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
, officially known as the
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
.
His most notable achievement was serving as captain of the
''Advance''. Together with
''Rescue'', the ship participated in the
Arctic search mission to discover the remains of
John Franklin
Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through ...
's earlier, 1847, Arctic expedition. The two ships left New York on May 5, 1850. De Haven and his crew were at sea for sixteen months, spending the winter inside the
Arctic circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
.
["De Haven II (DD-727)," U.S.Naval History and Heritage Command.]
After returning from the expedition, Edwin Jesse De Haven served in the
U.S. Coast Survey
The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS), known from 1807 to 1836 as the Survey of the Coast and from 1836 until 1878 as the United States Coast Survey, was the first scientific agency of the United States Government. It ...
, before spending the rest of his career at the
United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depo ...
under superintendent
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury (January 14, 1806February 1, 1873) was an American oceanographer and naval officer, serving the United States and then joining the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
He was nicknamed "Pathfinder of the Seas" and i ...
.
Suffering from impaired vision, he was placed on the retired list in 1862. He died in Philadelphia May 1, 1865, and was interred at that city's
Christ Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and his wife, Deborah. Four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, Benjamin Rush, ...
.
Namesakes
The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
named two destroyers
USS ''De Haven'' in his honor.
See also
References
:
:
*''The Royal Navy in Polar Exploration from Franklin to Scot''t, E C Coleman, 2006 (Tempus Publishing)
External links
Biography of De Haven from the ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,'' U.S. Naval Historical CenterBiography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''* See an 1858 ma
''Preliminary chart of entrance to Brazos River, Texas / from a trigonometrical survey under the direction of A. Bache; triangulation by J.S. Williams ; topography by J.M. Wampler; hydrography by the parties under the command of E.J. De Haven & J.K. Duer.'' hosted by th
Portal to Texas HistoryEdwin Jesse De Haven Papers, 1832-1928 MS 211held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Haven, Edwin Jesse
1816 births
1865 deaths
Explorers of Canada
Explorers of the Arctic
Military personnel from Philadelphia
United States Navy officers
Burials at Christ Church, Philadelphia