author
William Lewis Herndon
1813–1857
A U.S. naval officer and explorer, he is remembered both for leading an American expedition into the Amazon Valley and for his calm bravery during the 1857 sinking of the steamship Central America.
2 Audiobooks
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon, Part 1 (of 2)
by William Lewis Herndon, Lardner Gibbon
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon, Part 2 (of 2)
by William Lewis Herndon, Lardner Gibbon
About the author
Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1813, William Lewis Herndon built a long career in the U.S. Navy and became known as an able seaman and explorer. He is especially associated with a government expedition to the Amazon Valley in the early 1850s, a journey that led to his widely circulated report Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon.
Herndon’s reputation grew from both scientific work and personal courage. Later in his career, he commanded the mail steamship Central America. When the ship was overwhelmed in a hurricane off Cape Hatteras in September 1857, he was credited with helping women and children get off the vessel before it sank.
That final act made him a lasting figure in American naval memory. He is often remembered not only as an explorer of South America, but also as a commander whose sense of duty defined the way his life ended.