A 414-page illustrated report delivered to the Secretary of the Navy in 1853 documented the commercial potential of a vast, uncharted South American valley. William Lewis Herndon, a United States naval commander, authored this expansive survey after leading an expedition that traversed thousands of miles of wilderness, ultimately shifting American understanding of the region's natural history.
Naval Advancement and Scientific Cartography
Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1813, Herndon began his naval career as a midshipman in 1828. By 1841, he reached the rank of lieutenant, serving extensively in Pacific, Mediterranean, and South American waters. Between 1842 and 1846, he worked alongside Matthew Fontaine Maury at the Depot of Charts and Instruments of the US Naval Observatory. Their collaboration produced oceanographic charts essential for safe maritime navigation. During the Mexican–American War, he commanded the brig Iris.
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In 1851, Herndon led an expedition to survey the Valley of the Amazon. Departing Lima, Peru, on May 21, he traveled with Lieutenant Lardner Gibbon and five additional men. After crossing the Cordilleras, Gibbon explored Bolivian tributaries while Herndon navigated the main trunk. His 4,366-mile journey reached altitudes of 16,199 feet before concluding in Pará, Brazil, on April 11, 1852. The resulting report, printed by the Navy in 1854, saw 10,000 copies distributed to the Senate.
Command of the SS Central America
Assigned to the Atlantic Mail Steamship Company in 1855, Herndon commanded the steamer SS Central America on the route between New York and Aspinwall, Panama. On September 7, 1857, while carrying approximately 474 passengers, 101 crew, and 15 tons of gold, the ship entered a hurricane off Cape Hatteras. By September 12, the vessel suffered critical leaks and power loss. Herndon directed the successful transfer of 152 women and children to the brig Marine before the ship sank, resulting in the largest loss of life for a commercial ship in United States history.
Fast facts
- Born: 25 October 1813, Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Died: 12 September 1857, Cape Hatteras
- Military Rank: Commander
- Expedition: Valley of the Amazon, 1851–1852
- Notable Ship: SS Central America
- Daughter: Ellen Lewis Herndon
- Son-in-law: Chester A. Arthur
Questions readers ask
What happened to the gold aboard the SS Central America?
The ship was carrying an estimated $2,000,000 in gold from California, and its loss during the sinking contributed to the financial Panic of 1857.
How is Herndon remembered today?
He is honored by the Herndon Monument at the United States Naval Academy, two ships named USS Herndon, and the towns of Herndon, Virginia, and Herndon, Pennsylvania.
Achievements
- Recorded as explorer, military officer and traveler
