| June 14 | Relieved by Lt. John Gillis as head of Depot of Charts and Instruments, and ordered to command of Porpoise at Norfolk for survey duty of shoals of Georges Bank; October 20 reported survey completed. |
| October 24 | Ordered to stand by to survey at Beaufort and Wilmington, North Carolina, and May River, South Carolina. |
| 1838 | |
| March 20 | Received orders from Secretary of War J. R. Poinsett to command South Seas Surveying and Exploring Expedition; appointment approved by President Van Buren April 20. |
| July 7 | Took command of Vincennes at Norfolk. |
| July 19 | Daughter, Eliza Wilkes, born. |
| August 11 | Final orders for Exploring Expedition issued by Secretary of the Navy James Paulding. |
| August 18 | Ships of Exploring Expedition—Vincennes, Peacock, Porpoise, Sea Gull, Flying Fish, and Relief—sailed from Norfolk. |
| November 24 | Arrived at Rio de Janeiro. |
| 1839 | |
| February 25 | Departed Tierra del Fuego on board Porpoise for first cruise into Antarctic area; returned to Tierra del Fuego March 19. |
| May 1 | Sea Gull lost at sea. |
| November 29 | Arrived at Sydney, Australia. |
| December 26 | Began second cruise to Antarctic area. |
| 1840 | |
| January 19 | Land of Antarctic Continent sighted from Vincennes. |
| May 6 | Began survey of Fiji. |
| July 24 | Lt. Joseph Underwood and Midshipman Wilkes Henry killed at Malolo; reprisal attack was made on Malolo two days later. |
| August 11 | Departed Fiji. |
| September 24 | Arrived at Hawaiian Islands. |
| December 14 | Scientific study of Mauna Loa and Kilauea Crater began. |
| 1841 | |
| April 5 | Departed Hawaiian Islands. |
| April 30 | Survey of Puget Sound commenced. |
| July 19 | Peacock grounded and abandoned in mouth of Columbia River. |
| August 14 | Arrived at San Francisco Bay area; on November 1 departed for western Pacific. |
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