Captain Charles Wilkes
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Captain Charles Wilkes was the commanding officer of the USS San Jacinto. He intercepted the HMS Trent and ordered two shots to be fired in the general direction of the Trent. Captain Wilkes was a controversial figure having been court martialed twice for various misdeeds. In 1838, he was exploring in the Polynesian Islands and his nephew was killed. In retaliation, Wilkes had 80 Fijians killed. On another five year trip, Wilkes was court martialed for losing a ship, mistreating his officers and crew. He was acquitted except for the charge of mistreating his men. Some people believe Herman Melville used Wilke's five volume narrative as the basis for Captain Ahab's character in Moby Dick.
Source: The Sextant(2013)from the Naval History and Heritage Command. https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil
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