William R. Hoel

William R. Hoel
Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William R. Hoel, USN
Born	7 March 1824 Butler County, Ohio
Died	23 May 1879 (aged 55) Waynesville Warren County, Ohio
Occupation	Steamboat captain Farmer
Spouse(s)	Mary Riley Elizabeth Hunt
Children	Sarah, b: 18 December 1869 Rion, b: 15 September 1871
Parent(s)	Edmond Hoel Emilene Hoel

William R. Hoel (7 March 1824 – 23 May 1879) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. A native of Butler County, Ohio, Hoel was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot when he entered the United States Navy 19 October 1861.

Hoel's first wife was Mary Riley, daughter of Daniel Riley, of Cincinnati. His second wife was Elizabeth Hunt, eldest daughter of Dr. Samuel Pancoast Hunt and Elizabeth Thomas, his wife, of Morrow, Warren County, Ohio. Captain Hoel and Elizabeth Hoel had two children: Sarah Elizabeth Hoel, born 18 December 1869, and Rion Hoel, born 15 September 1871.

On 6 February 1862, while serving as the First Master of Cincinnati, Hoel was wounded during the Battle of Fort Henry. Less than two months later, on 4 April, he volunteered to pilot gunboat Carondelet in her famous run past the Rebel batteries at Island Number 10 to reach Maj. Gen. John Pope's Army at New Madrid. The gunboat's valiant dash through a hailstorm of Confederate fire enabled Union forces to cross the river and to take this key island with quantities of cannon, equipment and stores. It thus opened the Mississippi for operations by Union gunboats bringing the Federal armies in a long stride to within sight of Memphis.

Hoel's courageous and skillful service on this occasion won the praise of Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote, the thanks of the Navy from Secretary Gideon Welles, and promotion to the rank of Acting Volunteer Lieutenant effective 29 April 1862.