Edwin J. De Haven
Edwin J. De Haven was born in Philadelphia, in the year 1819. He became a midshipman at the age of 10, and served until 1857. De Haven participated in the Wilkes Expedition, officially known as the United States Exploring Expedition, from 1839 to 1842. His most notable achievement was serving as captain of the Advance. Coupled with the Rescue, these two ships were sent on an Artic search mission to discover the remains of John Franklin's earlier, 1847 Arctic expedition. The two ships left New York on May 5, 1850. De Haven and his crew were out at sea for sixteen months, spending the winter inside the Arctic circle. After returning from the expedition, De Haven served in the Coast Survey, before spending the rest of his career at the National Observatory, under Lieutenant Maury. He was placed on the retired list on account of impaired vision. He died in Philidelphia, October 2, 1865.