Edwin De Haven

Edwin Jesse DeHaven (May 7, 1816 – May 1, 1865) was a United States Navy officer and explorer of the first half of the 19th century who was best known for his command of the First Grinnell expedition in 1850, which was directed to ascertain what had happened to the lost Franklin Polar Expedition.[1]

Edwin Jesse De Haven
BornMay 7, 1816
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DiedMay 1, 1865
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Buried
Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commands heldUSS Advance (First Grinnell Expedition, 1850)

Life

Born in Philadelphia on May 7, 1816, De Haven became a midshipman at the age of 10, serving until 1857. From 1839 to 1842, he participated in the Wilkes Expedition, officially known as the United States Exploring Expedition.

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'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.[2]

Edwin DeHaven headstone

After returning from the expedition, Edwin Jesse De Haven served in the U.S. Coast Survey, before spending the rest of his career at the United States Naval Observatory under superintendent Matthew Fontaine Maury.

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.

Namesakes

The United States Navy named two destroyers USS De Haven in his honor.

See also

References
  1. "De Haven II (DD-727)." Washington, D.C.: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, retrieved online May 15, 2019.
  2. "De Haven II (DD-727)," U.S.Naval History and Heritage Command.
 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
  • The Royal Navy in Polar Exploration from Franklin to Scott, E C Coleman, 2006 (Tempus Publishing)
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