Background
Hoel"s first wife was Mary Riley, daughter of Daniel Riley, of Cincinnati. His second wife was Elizabeth Hunt, eldest daughter of Doctor Samuel Pancoast Hunt and Elizabeth Thomas, his wife, of Morrow, Warren County, Ohio.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
William Hoel
Edit ProfileCareer
A native of Butler County, Ohio, Hoel was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot when he entered the United States Navy 19 October 1861. 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 Major
General
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. lieutenant thus opened the Mississippi for operations by Union gunboats bringing the Federal armies in a long stride to within sight of Memphis.
On 10 May 1862 Hoel assumed command of Cincinnati when serious wounds incapacitated her captain, Commander Roger North. Stembel.
The new commander of the Western Flotilla, Captain Charles Henry 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.." On 29 October, Hoel then took command of United States Ship 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 World War II destroyer which bore his name, United States Ship Hoel.
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.
Detached from Pittsburg, he then took command of United States Ship Vindicator 1 March 1865 on which he served until 7 July 1865.
He was honorably discharged on 30 December 1865.
