William R. Hoel

William Ryan Hoel (7 March 1824 – May 23, 1879) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. A native of Butler County, Ohio, Hoel was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot when he entered the United States Navy 19 October 1861.

Opening the Mississippi

On 6 February 1862, while serving as the First Master of "Cincinnati", Hoel was wounded during the Battle of Fort Henry. Less than two months later, on 4 April, he volunteered to pilot gunboat "Carondelet" in her famous run past the Rebel batteries at Island Number 10 to reach Maj. Gen. John Pope's Army at New Madrid. The gunboat's valiant dash through a hailstorm of Confederate fire enabled Union forces to cross the river and to take this key island with quantities of cannon, equipment and stores. It thus opened the Mississippi for operations by Union gunboats bringing the Federal Armies in a long stride to within sight of Memphis.

Hoel's courageous and skillful service on this occasion won the praise of Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote, the thanks of the Navy from Secretary Gideon Welles, and promotion to the rank of Acting Volunteer Lieutenant effective 29 April 1862.

On 10 May 1862 Hoel assumed command of "Cincinnati" when serious wounds incapacited her Captain, Commander Roger N. Stembel. The new commander of the Western Flotilla, Captain Charles H. Davis, took this opportunity to express his admiration of Hoel. "I can not praise more than they deserve his high valor and ability. He sets the highest example to those below him, and if it were possible to give him a permanent position worthy of his merits, the Navy would be the gainer . . ."

The Vicksburg campaign

On 29 October, Hoel then took command of USS "Pittsburg" on which he served with distinction in the campaign to take Vicksburg. One of Lieutenant Hoel's exploits during this campaign is of special interest since it foreshadowed the heroism of the World War II destroyer which bore his name, USS "Hoel".

On 29 April 1863, as Acting Rear Admiral David D. Porter's flotilla was bombarding the Confederate Batteries at Grand Gulf, his flagship, USS "Benton", became unmanageable and was caught under heavy fire in a position where she could neither steer nor reply to the enemy guns. On seeing Porter's predicament, Hoel slipped the "Pittsburg" in between "Benton" and the flaming Rebel batteries to protect her by taking the fire himself. In the next 10 minutes his heroism cost the "Pittsburg" 6 men killed and 8 wounded, but the sacrifice allowed "Benton" to extricate herself from the deadly trap.

The bombardment was so successful that the next day General Ulysses Grant safely moved his troops across the Mississippi to begin the operations which at long last isolated and captured Vicksburg.

Hoel was promoted to Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Commander on 10 November 1864.

In command of USS "Vindicator"

Detached from "Pittsburg", he then took command of USS "Vindicator" 1 March 1865 on which he served until 7 July 1865. He was honorably discharged on 30 December 1865.

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=3412&GRid=13036107& Find A Grave entry]