Hiram Paulding (1797-1878) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, who served from the War of 1812 until after the Civil War.

Paulding was born the son of John Paulding at Cortlandt, N.Y., December 11, 1797. He was appointed Midshipman September 1, 1811. During the War of 1812, he served on Lakes Ontario and Champlain, commanding the second division from Ticonderoga during the Battle of Lake Champlain. After the war he served in Constellation, off the Algerian coast, and in Independence, the brig Prometheus, and Macedonian.

On his return from service in Macedonian on the Pacific Station (1818–1821), he spent a year’s leave at Capt. Alden Partridge’s Military Academy (later Norwich University), Norwich, Vermont. In the ensuing years of the decade he served in Sea Gull on the West Indies station, in United States on the Pacific station, in Dolphin as that vessel pursued mutineers of the whaler Globe, then returned to United States. In 1830 he rejoined Constellation to serve as 1st Lieutenant, as she cruised the Mediterranean for two years, and in 1834 assumed command of the schooner Shark for another Mediterranean tour. Appointed to command the sloop-of-war Levant in 1838, he made a cruise in the West Indies and in 1841 became Executive Officer of the New York Navy Yard.

In 1844 Paulding was promoted to Captain and in 1845 he assumed command of Vincennes for a three-year East Indian cruise and took command of that station with the departure of Commodore James Biddle for the United States. Between 1848 and 1852 he commanded St. Lawrence in the Baltic, North, and Mediterranean Seas, then assumed command of the Washington Navy Yard.

Promoted to Commodore, Paulding took command of the Home Squadron followed aboard the flagship Wabash. The squadron was instrumental in foiling the expedition against Nicaragua underway by American, William Walker, who had dreamed of uniting the nations of Central America into a vast military empire led by himself. Through insurrection, he became president of Nicaragua in 1855 only to have Cornelius Vanderbilt — who controlled the country's shipping lifelines — shut off supplies and aid. A revolt toppled Walker from power, and he was trying for a military comeback before he was captured in 1857 by a landing of Home Squadron Marines. Stateside controversy over the questionable legality of seizing American nationals in foreign, neutral lands prompted President James Buchanan to relieve Paulding of his command, forcing him into retirement.

In 1861 Paulding was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to assist in building up a wartime fleet. He then took over the New York Navy Yard. After the war Paulding served as Governor, Naval Asylum at Philadelphia and as Post-Admiral at Boston. Paulding died at Huntington, Long Island, N.Y., 20 October 1878.

The destroyer USS Paulding (DD-22) was named in honor of Rear Admiral Paulding.

This article contains public domain text from the Naval Historical Center.

Paulding, Hiram. Journal of a Cruise of the United States Schooner Dolphin, Among the Islands of the Pacific Ocean; and a Visit to the Mulgrave Islands, in Pursuit of the Mutineers of the Whale Ship Globe. New York: G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1831.