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, Prometheus, and Macedonian. On his return from service in the latter on the Pacific station 1818–1821, he spent a year’s leave at Capt. Partridge’s Military Academy, Norwich, Vt. 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 whaler Globe, then returned to United States. In 1830 he rejoined Constellation, to serve as 1st Lieutenant, as she cruised the Mediterranean for 2 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.
On 29 February 1844, Paulding was promoted to captain and in 1845 he assumed command of Vincennes for a three-year East Indian cruise. He took command of that station with the departure of Commodore Biddle for the United States. Between 1848 and 1852, he commanded St. Lawrence in the Baltic, North and Mediterranean Seas, and then assumed command of the Washington Navy Yard. Command of the Home Squadron followed and in 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln to assist in building up a wartime fleet. He then took over the New York Navy Yard.
After the war, Rear Admiral Paulding served as Governor of the Naval Asylum at Philadelphia and as Post-Admiral at Boston. He died at Huntington, Long Island, New York on 20 October 1878.
Source: Naval History & Heritage Command including Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
