Charles A. Read

Charles A. Read was a United States Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient whose courage during the destruction of the Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama placed him among the most distinguished enlisted sailors of the American Civil War. Read was born in 1837. Historical Medal of Honor records identify his birthplace as Sweden, while his military award record was later accredited to Ohio. The surviving authoritative record preserves his name as Charles A. Read; because the full meaning of the middle initial is not securely established in the strongest available documentation, it should not be expanded in his profile. During the American Civil War, Read entered the United States Navy and eventually served aboard the steam sloop-of-war USS Kearsarge. By the time of the action that earned him the Medal of Honor, his rating was Coxswain. In the nineteenth-century Navy, a coxswain was an experienced enlisted sailor entrusted with important seamanship responsibilities, particularly the handling and control of ship's boats. In battle, however, sailors could be assigned to combat stations that differed from their normal everyday duties. During the engagement that made Read famous, his battle station placed him directly within one of Kearsarge's gun crews. USS Kearsarge and the Hunt for CSS Alabama USS Kearsarge had been commissioned in January 1862 and assigned largely to overseas operations against Confederate commerce raiders. One of the Union Navy's most dangerous opponents was CSS Alabama, commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes. During nearly two years of cruising, Alabama attacked United States merchant shipping across vast areas of the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and beyond. By 1864, the Confederate raider had become one of the most famous and destructive warships operating against Union commerce. In June 1864, Alabama arrived at Cherbourg, France, badly in need of repairs. News of her presence reached USS Kearsarge, commanded by Captain John A. Winslow. Kearsarge arrived off Cherbourg on June 14, 1864, and began patrolling outside the harbor. Captain Semmes ultimately chose to fight rather than remain trapped in port. The resulting engagement would become one of the most celebrated ship-to-ship battles of the Civil War. Battle of Cherbourg — June 19, 1864 On the morning of June 19, 1864, CSS Alabama steamed out of Cherbourg harbor. USS Kearsarge moved farther offshore so that the impending engagement would take place outside French territorial waters. Once the ships reached open water, they maneuvered to engage one another. Alabama opened fire first. Kearsarge held its fire while the range closed and then began responding with its own guns. The two steam-powered sloops maneuvered in broad circles as each captain attempted to gain a favorable firing position. The engagement quickly developed into an intense artillery duel. Read was serving at one of Kearsarge's pivot guns. Although his regular Navy rating was Coxswain, during the battle he performed the critical gun-crew duty of first sponger. The role required exceptional discipline. After a naval cannon fired, burning fragments or sparks could remain inside the gun barrel. Before another powder charge could safely be inserted, the bore had to be thoroughly swabbed with a wet sponge. Failure to extinguish residual embers could ignite the next powder charge prematurely, potentially killing or severely injuring members of the gun crew. The first sponger therefore had to work quickly and precisely while remaining immediately beside the weapon during battle. Read carried out that duty while Kearsarge exchanged heavy gunfire with Alabama. Shells and shot passed between the vessels while smoke from the guns repeatedly obscured the decks. Under those conditions, maintaining the firing rhythm of a naval battery required every member of the crew to continue performing his assigned task despite the danger. Read did exactly that. His official Medal of Honor citation emphasized his marked coolness and good conduct under fire and noted that his divisional officer highly recommended him for his gallantry. The wording is important. Read's heroism was not based on one dramatic isolated gesture. It reflected his ability to remain disciplined at his battle station and repeatedly perform a dangerous technical duty while his ship was engaged in direct combat. Destruction of CSS Alabama As the battle continued, Kearsarge gained the advantage. One important factor was the Union ship's superior gunnery discipline. Its crew had been well drilled, while Alabama had spent a long period at sea and suffered from poorer ammunition and less consistent gun training. Kearsarge had also placed chain cables along portions of its hull near the machinery spaces, providing some additional protection. The ships continued their circular engagement for roughly an hour. Eventually, shells from Kearsarge inflicted serious damage near Alabama's waterline. Water began entering the Confederate vessel faster than the crew could control it. Captain Semmes attempted to turn toward the French coast, but Alabama was no longer capable of escaping. He struck his colors. Shortly afterward, CSS Alabama sank off Cherbourg. The destruction of the Confederate raider ended the career of one of the Union merchant marine's most dangerous adversaries and gave USS Kearsarge one of the most celebrated victories in United States naval history. After the surrender, Kearsarge's sailors also participated in rescuing members of Alabama's crew from the water. Most survivors were recovered either by the Union ship or by the British yacht Deerhound, which carried Semmes and several others to England. Medal of Honor Charles A. Read's conduct at his gun station brought him national recognition. He was one of seventeen members of USS Kearsarge's crew who received the Medal of Honor for their conduct during the battle with CSS Alabama. His official service details for the heroic action were: Branch: United States Navy Rank/Rating: Coxswain Ship: USS Kearsarge Action: Battle of Cherbourg Date: June 19, 1864 Location: Off Cherbourg, France The Navy formally recognized his gallantry under General Order No. 45, dated December 31, 1864. His award was not posthumous. For the historical ribbon system used in this project, his decoration should therefore be represented as: Medal of Honor 1862–1912 Navy — No device There is no verified V device, star, clasp, or other attachment associated with Charles A. Read's Medal of Honor. His Role in the Victory Read's Medal of Honor illustrates an important aspect of nineteenth-century naval warfare. A warship depended on much more than its captain and senior officers. Victory required ordinary sailors throughout the vessel to keep machinery operating, handle sails and boats, carry ammunition, fight fires, tend the wounded, and maintain the guns. The pivot guns aboard USS Kearsarge were among the ship's most important offensive weapons. As first sponger, Read was directly involved in maintaining the weapon's firing cycle. Each time the gun discharged, he had to prepare its bore so the next charge could be loaded without causing a premature explosion. The work required strength, speed, precision, and composure. During peaceful training those qualities were important. During a battle in which another warship was actively firing explosive shells at his position, they became acts of courage. Read's citation therefore praises something fundamental to naval combat: remaining at one's post and continuing to perform a vital duty despite direct enemy fire. Final Months and Death Unfortunately, Charles A. Read had little time to enjoy the recognition associated with the victory. The Battle of Cherbourg occurred in June 1864, and his Medal of Honor recognition followed later that year. Read died on May 7, 1865, only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. The surviving authoritative Medal of Honor record does not provide enough evidence to safely state the cause of his death, so no cause should be added to the profile without stronger recipient-specific documentation. He was buried in The Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. His death came less than eleven months after his celebrated action aboard USS Kearsarge and only weeks after the surrender of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had effectively signaled the collapse of the Confederacy. Legacy Charles A. Read's life was short, but his place in American naval history was secured during approximately one hour of combat off the French coast. He was not the commander of USS Kearsarge. He did not determine the ship's tactical movements. Instead, he represented the skilled enlisted sailors upon whom those tactics depended. While USS Kearsarge circled CSS Alabama under hostile fire, Read remained at his pivot gun and repeatedly carried out one of the essential tasks necessary to keep that weapon functioning. His calmness and discipline were specifically noticed by his superior officer and ultimately recognized by the United States Navy with the Medal of Honor. The Battle of Cherbourg destroyed the Confederacy's most famous commerce raider and became one of the iconic naval engagements of the American Civil War. Charles A. Read became part of that history not through rank or command, but through professional skill, steadiness, and gallantry under fire.