| the Deep River area of North Carolina for potential Navy use; submitted report on December 30. | |
| 1859 | |
| July 21 | Daughter, Mary Wilkes, born. |
| 1861 | |
| April 19 | Detached from duty associated with the publication of Exploring Expedition reports. |
| April 20—21 | Participated in destruction of Norfolk Navy Yard. |
| May 1 | Requested duty as commandant of Washington Navy Yard. |
| May 14 | Ordered to command San Jacinto operating off the coast of Africa. |
| November 8 | British mail steamer Trent halted and boarded; confederate commissioners James Mason and John Slidell removed to San Jacinto. |
| November 30 | Detached from San Jacinto. |
| December 27 | Ordered to duty as a member of Board of Naval Examiners. |
| 1862 | |
| July 6 | Ordered to command James River Flotilla. |
| August 4 | Promoted to Commodore. |
| August 29 | Detached from James River Flotilla; took command of Potomac Flotilla. |
| September 8 | Ordered to command West India Squadron. |
| September 15 | Promoted to Acting Rear Admiral. |
| 1863 | |
| June 1 | Detached from West India Squadron. |
| June 30 | Departed Havana on board Roanoke enroute the United States. |
| December 18 | Letter written by Wilkes to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles refuting derogatory statements made by the Secretary in his annual report published in New York Times; Wilkes denied knowledge of how newspaper obtained a copy of the letter. |
| 1864 | |
| January 11 | Court of inquiry ordered to determine source of New York Times' copy of Wilkes' letter. |
| January 25 | Court of inquiry found that Wilkes had prior knowledge that a copy of the letter had reached New York Times. |
| February 27 | Court martial of Wilkes ordered for disobediance of orders, insubordination and other specifications. |
XXI
