Early Life
Ellen Lewis Herndon, called "Nell," was born in Culpeper Court House, Virginia, the daughter of William Lewis Herndon and Frances Elizabeth Hansborough. Her father was a naval officer who gained national renown in 1857 when he went down with his ship, the mail steamer SS Central America, along with more than 400 passengers and crew. It was the largest loss of life in a commercial shipping disaster, up until that time. Herndon had safely evacuated 152 women and children to another vessel during the severe hurricane off Cape Hatteras, but his ship could not be saved. Nell was 20 when her father died. One of her father's cousins was Matthew Fontaine Maury, another notable naval officer and explorer.
Read more about this topic: Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur
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