Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-10-20
Lieut. Wm L. Herndon. U. 6. N.. late Commander of the Central America

Sonahoef or the Central America.
 The most valuable life lost by the recent disaster is probably that of Lieut.. Wm. Lewis Herndon, U. $. N. late commander of the ill., starred Central America. Lieut. Herndon was man of gifted intellect and resolute wli- Modest and retiring in manner, it required close observer or an intimate friend to discover all the rare qualities he possessed His courage the calm, deliberate, enduring courage of a truly brave man-has been conspcuous on many occasions. He has been tried severely and never found wanting. Those who knew him well want no assurance that he never | quilted hls ship while there was one fellow- creature to be saved-and that, as far as can be conIectured, he stood upon her deck AS she recied down into the depths of the ocean un appalled, himself by the calamity that has so startled the nation We are not using the Ian. guage of empty adulation-we have Lieut. Herndon's past life before us and the further fact that t1enty-si1 aoonaen ana cLiklren ,oere saued tn boat proves conclusivey that he did hls duty right manfully, and to the last had control over himself as well as over his crew we do not permit ourselves to hope that the gallant commander has been saved: 1t were i'm possible except by some such miraculous in terposltlon of Providence, as that which res cued Capt Luce after lie sunk with the Arctic's | wreck.
 Captain William Lewis Herndon was native oi fredericksourg Va, and was the son of 1 Daoney Herndon, Esq, highly respected citi- zen ot that place. H. was born October 25 lol3, and was, therefore, at the time of h,s death, 43 years of age, twenty eight of whic1 l ne had spent In the service Of his countrv- He entered the Navy as midshpman at the age of fifteen. His first voyage was to the faclhc, In the old frigate Guerriere. This cruise took three years The next three years | he spent Tn the Mediterranean, in the Constel- latlon, and afterwards made a third cruise to the coast Of BrazlI. At this time he was at | tached to the Independence. About the time of his return the Florida war broke out and a number oi officers in the Navy volunteered for the service. Among them was youny Herndop who was placed in command of a brio at Jn' dian Key With his men he often penetrated the Everg ades in boats, driving the Indians from the recesses of the swamps into the arms of the troops on the shore In tbis difficnt service, and on the coast, he remained two years. on ms return he was attached to the National Observatory at Washington, then under the charSe of hls brother-in-law, Lieutenant Maury. Here he remained three years This service he found more arduous than life at sea as he was often necessarily engaged all night in ma
 
 Mexican war he applied for orders. and was ap- pointed to the frgate Cumberland. He pro- ceeded to Norfolk, and had embarked when ms destination was changed. Commodore Per ", then m the Gulf, had applied to the De- iartment to send out to him an active and in- telilgent officer, who could speak the Spanish language, to be placed in command of a small steamboa to pass between the American squad. ron and the troops on shore. The Secretary of the Navy immediately designated Lieut.. Herndon for the post, and he was transferred to the Iris, and sailed to join Commodore Perry. In this small vessel he remained till the close of the war, often performing tasks of much difficulty and danger, but with uniform skill and success. At the close of the war he re- turned to Washington, and spent another year at the Observatory.
 It was in the exploration of the Amazon. during the years 1851 and 1852, that Lieut.. Herndon chiefly distinguished hmself or rather, it was in the performance of this service that he Is more widely known He was select ed for this most important and delicate dutv', -so hls letter of instructions ran-because it would call for the exercise of all those hiUh qualities and attalnmentS that he possessed "- ne otJect oi the expedition was to obtain every information relating to the valley and river of the Amazon, including the entire basin. or water shed, drained by that river and its tributaries- Lieut.. Herudon'S observations were to extend not only to the present condition of that val ley, with regard 10 the navgabiltv ot its streams but to the number and condition, both industrial and socal, ot its lnh lbitautS; their trade and products; Its climate, ,i and proluc,ion,: auI also 10 Its Capacities for cultivation, and to the character d eXteut of is uplevtopei com 'nerraI reSonrces, whether of the hrI the Na. .f
 received theS" iu>truct @ is, Lieu, il .r...i,t,. on toari the Vaudlla, theu It Luna, .u Prr. 'nd from that point h. wa- ,Ire.i.i 10 eros, Ilu C'riillera and eXpor, Jhe Amt1o4 'r.m .ts source to ils mouth.
 Lieutenant ilrrnlnl rt.t-re Ip,l. the d.,ti,s t lis aew mi~,i"n 0ul s,ut and eutnas..sn |" r'ep1r" h.m--lf for tae rypedltiun he sirut i"ur or live mouth, iu rr~ear-he, ir ChilI and Peru. He then left the Ptc ne coast anI a,- cenHed to the crest ot tae Andes, and from thence descended the Atlantic slope unt,I he reached the heaiwaterS of the Amazon, which. at four thousard miles distant from it's sluuib IS but muddy stream, known a, the iIualltga. Lieutenant Herhdon travelled the entire dis tance, from the head waters of canoe naviga- ton to Para, in an open boat. IL occupied him eleven months; and his report to the Govern ment, emb"dynga faithful and modest account ot his journey, shonld be real by every one in- terested in the development of the uuboun1ed resources of the mlshtiest river in the world
 On his return to the United States, Leuten- Herndon was for some months in Washington engaged in the preparation of his work on the Amazon, which was published by the Govern ment.
 After this labor was completed he was order ed to the San Jacinto, then designed to cruise in the Baltic, during the presence there of the Allied fleets. But some accident occurring to her machinery, she put into Southampton.- This ship was ordered to convey MT. Soule, who had been forbidden to pass through France from Caals 10 Spain. On the return of the San Jaclnto to the United States, Lieut.. Herndon was transferred to the Potomac under Con- Paulding, but was after placed in com mand of the George Law. This was about two years ago. These California steamers, carrying U. $. mails, are required by law to be under command of officers of the Navy, and Lieut.. Herndon was chosen for the responsible post The name of the George Law was only few weeks ago changed to that of the Central America, the loss of which is now mourned by thousands of hearts.
 Lieut.. Herndon was married twenty years since to an estimable lady of Virginia His wife and an only daughter survive.
 He was of slight figure, but of an intrepid spirit He was as gentle as he was brave. In the Navy he was universally beloved. In all quarrels between officers, he was known as peacemaker. He never made an enemy. For fifteen years he had been member of the Episcopal Church. He often read the service on board his ship and the humblest sailor was not committed to the deep without the burial service read over his remains by his Captan- N r. Times.
 THE NASHVILLE BANKs.-The Nashville the Bank of Nashville remarks:
 We understand that portion of the com. mercial men of the city held meeting and re- quested all the banks to suspend specie pay ments temporarily; and we are told that the Unloh Bank, Pla ters' Bank. and lnk of Ten