USS PAULDING DD-22

HIRAM PAULDING

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, February 2016

Hiram Paulding, born at Cortlandt, N.Y., 11 December 1797, was appointed Midshipman 1 September 1811. During the War of 1812, he served on Lakes Ontario and Champlain, commanding the second division from Ticonderoga during the Battle of Lake Champlain. After the war he served in Constellation, off the Algerian coast, and in Independence, Prometheus, and Macedonian. On his return from service in the latter on the Pacific station 1818-1821, he spent a year’s leave at Capt. Partridge’s Military Academy, Norwich, Vt. In the ensuing years of the decade he served in Sea Gull on the West Indies station, in United States on the Pacific station, in Dolphin as that vessel pursued mutineers of whaler Globe, then returned to United States. In 1830 he rejoined Constellation, to serve as 1st Lieutenant, as she cruised the Mediterranean for 2 years and in 1834 assumed command of the schooner Shark for another Mediterranean tour. Appointed to command the sloop-of-war Levant in 1838, he made a cruise in the West Indies and in 1841 became Executive Officer of the New York Navy Yard.

On 29 February 1844 Paulding was promoted to Captain and in 1845 he assumed command of Vincennes for a three year East Indian cruise and took command of that station with the departure of Commodore Biddle for the United States. Between 1848 and 1852 he commanded St. Lawrence in the Baltic, North, and Mediterranean Seas, then assumed command of the Washington Navy Yard. Command of the Home Squadron followed and in 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln to assist in building up a wartime fleet. He then took over the New York Navy Yard. After the war he served as Governor, Naval Asylum at Philadelphia and as Post-Admiral at Boston. Hear Admiral Paulding died at Huntington, L.I., N.Y., 20 October 1878.