Captain Herndon Traditional Cache
Banshee Reeks: I think it is time to archive this cache after several years. The area is now more exposed to muggles and nearby townhouses.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Cache is located in Downtown Herndon along the W&OD Trail. Parking is available nearby.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON
Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on October 25, 1813, William Lewis Herndon entered the Navy in 1828 and was commissioned lieutenant in 1841. From 1842 to 1847 he served at the United States Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office in Washington, D.C. There he worked closely with his cousin, brother-in-law and good friend, Lieutenant Matthew Fontaine Maury, who later became known as “the father of modern oceanography” for his revolutionary studies of winds and water currents.
In 1851, Herndon was assigned to lead the first scientific expedition to explore the Amazon River Valley and three years later published the results in a popular illustrated book, Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon.
In November 1855, Captain Herndon was given command of the Central America (then named the George Law) in accordance with an act of Congress requiring that all mail steamships be captained by an officer of the US Navy. He completed 18 voyages before the ill-fated trip that began in Aspinwall on September 3, 1857. Herndon was survived by his wife Frances Hansbrough Herndon, and one daughter Ellen Lewis Herndon, who later married Chester A. Arthur. (She died, however, before Arthur became the 21st president of the United States.)
The town of Herndon, Virginia is named in his memory, and in 1858 his native state presented a medal to his widow. In 1860, the United States Naval Academy erected a monument to the captain’s memory, making Herndon the first peacetime hero to be honored at Annapolis.
History with the permission of www.sscentralamerica.com
At times there is likely to be considerable Muggle activity so stealth is suggested. The cache has a log and small pencil but bring one along just in case.
DO NOT HUNT AT NIGHT.
CONGRATULATION Jeffnerner FTF
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Znl or n ovg bs n ernpu.