Wilkes was born April 3, 1798, in New York City. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1818 and became a lieutenant in 1826. In 1830 he was placed in charge of the depot of instruments and charts from which the Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office developed. From 1838 to 1842 he commanded an exploring and surveying expedition that took him ultimately into the Antarctic Ocean and along the Antarctic barrier. There he reported sighting land at a number of points in Wilkes Land. He visited islands in the Pacific and explored the West Coast of the United States. He then recrossed the Pacific and reached New York in June 1842, having sailed completely around the world. Wilkes was advanced to the rank of commander in 1843. From 1844 to 1861 he prepared the report of his expedition, writing 7 of its 19 volumes.
During the U.S. Civil War (1861–65), Wilkes commanded the San Jacinto. On Nov. 8, 1861, he caused an international incident by stopping the neutral British mail steamer Trent and removing two Confederate commissioners en route to Europe. His action was later disavowed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln to avoid a break with Great Britain. Commissioned commodore in 1862, Wilkes commanded a squadron sent to the West Indies to protect U.S. commerce there. His actions brought protests of neutrality violations from several foreign governments. He was court-martialled in 1864 for insubordination and conduct unbecoming an officer and suspended from duty. He was commissioned rear admiral, retired, on July 25, 1866. Wilkes died Feb. 8, 1877, in Washington, D.C.