I'm just a landscape painter. I look out the window and I see what's going on, and I paint it. While I'm painting it, I also write thoughts about what I see going on out there.

He entered the Navy on 2 April 1803 and was assigned to the schooner Enterprise in the Mediterranean Squadron. After attaining the rates of boatswain boatswain's mate and then a reduction to quartermaster Wiley took part in the daring raid led by Lieutenant Stephen Decatur Jr. Quartermaster Wiley was transferred to the brig Scourge soon thereafter and this is where his documentary trail ends.