Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 49013:  Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William R. Hoel, USN

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- PEOPLE -- UNITED STATES --

Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Commander William R. Hoel, USN, (1825-??)

William R. Hoel was born in Ohio on 7 March 1825. A steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, he joined the Navy in October 1861 and played a very important role on the Western Rivers during the rest of the Civil War. Wounded in action on board the ironclad gunboat Cincinnati during the battle of Fort Henry on 6 February 1862, he recovered in time to pilot USS Carondelet past the Confederate fortress on Island Number Ten some two months later.

In May 1862, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Hoel took command of the Cincinnati while she was under salvage and repair. In October of that year he became Commanding Officer of sister gunboat Pittsburg, taking her through operations in the vicinity of Vicksburg, Mississippi. On 29 April 1863, he courageously used his ship to protect the flagship Benton when that vessel was endangered by enemy fire during the bombardment of Grand Gulf, Mississippi. In March-July 1865, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Commander Hoel commanded the ram Vindicator. He left the Navy in December 1865.

The destroyers USS Hoel (DD-533), 1943-1944; Hoel (DD-768), cancelled in 1946; and USS Hoel (DDG-13), 1962-1994, were named in honor of Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Commander Hoel.

This page features our only view of William R. Hoel.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 49013

Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William R. Hoel, USN


Photographed wearing a sack coat uniform jacket, circa 1864.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 108KB; 475 x 765 pixels

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

Page made 3 March 2002