Captain William Levereth Hudson, USN (11 May 1794 – 15 October 1862) 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 in the first half of the 19th century.
Career
Hudson was born 11 May 1794 in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. His first service afloat was in the
Mediterranean Squadron under Commodore
William Bainbridge
William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774July 27, 1833) was a Commodore in the United States Navy. During his long career in the young American Navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. ...
in the
schooner and
sloop-of-war from 1815 to 1817.
Hudson was appointed
midshipman 1 January 1816. In 1821–1823, he served in on the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
coast of
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
, and in for a
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
cruise 1826–1829. In 1830–1831, Hudson accompanied Lieutenant Ramsey on a tour to
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, and then assumed duty at the
New York Navy Yard.
In June 1838 he was ordered to command , attached to
Commander Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842).
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...
's
exploring expedition, second in command overall.
After strenuous service in the
Antarctic, the South Seas, and along the coast of
North America, ''Peacock'' was wrecked 18 July 1841 while attempting to cross the
bar and enter the
Columbia River on Wilkes' orders. Commander Hudson made every effort to free his ship but was forced to leave her, saving all his men and the scientific papers.
In September 1849, after shore and lighthouse duty, he was ordered to command
''Vincennes'', cruising the Pacific until 1852. In March 1857 Hudson, appointed captain 8 October 1855, assumed command of . That August, in conjunction with British ships, he made the first attempt at laying a
transatlantic cable. This try was unsuccessful, but a second attempt met with success 10 August 1858. After commanding the
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...
in 1858–1862, Captain Hudson was made Inspector of the 3d Light House District. He died 15 October 1862 in Brooklyn, aged 68.
Namesakes
Three ships have been named
USS ''Hudson'' in his honor.
See also
*
European and American voyages of scientific exploration
The era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration followed the Age of Discovery and were inspired by a new confidence in science and reason that arose in the Age of Enlightenment. Maritime expeditions in the Age of Discovery were ...
References
:
External links
www.history.navy.mil: DANFS biography of William Hudson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, William
1794 births
1862 deaths
United States Navy officers
People from Brooklyn
People of the United States Exploring Expedition