United States Exploring Expedition Obelisk - Watertown, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 22.412 W 071° 08.678
19T E 323425 N 4693478
The United States Exploring Expedition Obelisk honors the four members of the U.S. Navy that lost their lives while on a scientific expedition. It is located along Central Avenue in Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Waymark Code: WMW08E
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/20/2017
Views: 2
The United States Exploring Expedition was requested by President John Quincy Adams in 1828 and funded eight years later in May 1836. The mission was to perform scientific research in the South Pacific, particular in the field of oceanography. During the 1838-1942 expedition four members of the U.S. Navy lost their lives.
Naval Lt. Joseph Addison Underwood was killed while supervising the trading for food with natives on the island of Malolo, Fiji. Midshipman Wilkes Henry was killed when he came to his aid. Midshipmen James W.E. Reid and Frederick A. Bacon were lost at sea as the expedition rounded Cape Horn.
The 25' high granite cenotaph obelisk was created by Struders & Son. It is decorated with a floral design on the sides and is inscribed on four sides:
THIS CENOTAPH IS ERECTED
BY
THEIR ASSOCIATES
THE OFFICERS AND SCIENTIFIC CORPS
OF THE
U.S. EXPLORING EXPEDITION
TO
THE MEMORY OF
LIEU'T JOSEPH A. UNDERWOOD
AND
MIDS'N WILKES HENRY
U.S. NAVY
TO
THE MEMORY OF
PASSED MIDSHIPMEN
JA'S W.E.REID
AND FREDERICK A. BACON
U.S.N.
LIEUTENANT
UNDERWOOD
AND MIDSHIPMAN
HENRY
FELL BY HANDS OF SAVAGES WHILE
PROMOTING THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE
AND PHILANTHROPY AT MALOLO
ONE OF THE FIJI GROUP OF
ISLANDS JULY 24
1840
PASSED MID'S REID AND BACON
WERE LOST AT SEA OFF CAPE HORN
MAY 1839
Type of Memorial: Non-Specific Memorial
In Honor Of: Those who died in the U.S. Exploring Expedition
Marker Text:
see long description
Who Put it Here?: Officers and Scientific Corps of the Exploring Expedition
Description of Memorial:
Large obelisk along the main avenue of Mount Auburn Cemetery. It's listed as significant monuments on the official Mt. Auburn Cemetery map.
Wars mentioned (Multi-war only): Not listed
Date of dedication: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Visited Logs must contain, at least, a picture of the monument and your GPSr. Preferably YOU at the monument with your GPSr, but we understand that some people are camera-shy.
It is suggested you please include something about your visit here, as well.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|