Charles H. Baldwin

He Swam Through Enemy Fire to Destroy an Ironclad

Charles H. Baldwin was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery during the American Civil War. Serving as a coal heaver aboard USS Wyalusing, Baldwin volunteered for a dangerous mission to destroy the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle on the Roanoke River in North Carolina in May 1864. Although the operation failed to destroy its target, his courage in transporting explosives through a swamp, swimming across enemy-controlled waters, and escaping Confederate gunfire earned him the nation's highest military decoration.

Born on June 30, 1839, in Delaware, Baldwin grew up before the outbreak of the American Civil War. His birthplace is identified in historical naval accounts as Smyrna, Delaware, while his Medal of Honor recipient record identifies Wilmington. Details concerning his childhood, family background, education, and early civilian activities remain limited.

Baldwin enlisted in the United States Navy at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 13, 1864. He entered naval service during the fourth year of the Civil War, when Union warships were conducting operations along the Atlantic coast and the inland waterways of the Confederate states.

He served aboard USS Wyalusing, a side-wheel gunboat operating in the waters of North Carolina. Baldwin initially held the rating of coal heaver, a position associated with supplying coal to a steam-powered vessel's boilers. Although his regular duties were connected to the ship's propulsion system, he volunteered for a combat operation that would distinguish his military career.

During the spring of 1864, the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle presented a serious threat to Union naval operations in the region. Operating along the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound, the armored vessel had demonstrated its ability to challenge Union warships.

Union naval personnel sought ways to eliminate the ironclad before it could undertake further operations. Baldwin joined four fellow sailors aboard USS Wyalusing in developing a plan to destroy the Confederate vessel using explosive devices.

The other volunteers included Alexander Crawford, John Lafferty, Benjamin Lloyd, and John W. Lloyd. Their proposed mission required them to approach the Confederate ironclad by traveling through difficult waterways and swamp terrain while avoiding detection by enemy forces.

The operation was approved by their naval superiors. The men prepared two torpedoes, the contemporary naval term for explosive devices intended to damage or destroy an enemy vessel.

On May 25, 1864, the date recorded for Baldwin's Medal of Honor action, he participated in the hazardous expedition against CSS Albemarle on the Roanoke River. The sailors transported their explosives by boat and carried them across swampy terrain separating the Middle River from the Roanoke River.

Moving the heavy explosive devices through the wetlands required considerable physical effort. The mission also demanded secrecy because discovery by Confederate sentries could expose the volunteers to enemy fire before they reached their objective.

Baldwin and John W. Lloyd entered the water to carry a line across the river. The line was intended to assist in transferring and positioning the explosives near the Confederate ironclad.

The plan called for the torpedoes to be guided downstream toward CSS Albemarle and positioned against the vessel so that they could be detonated. Baldwin undertook the dangerous task of entering the river to help move the explosives toward their target.

As the operation approached its critical stage, a Confederate sentry detected the movement. Enemy soldiers opened fire, forcing the volunteers to abandon the attempt before the explosive devices could be successfully positioned and detonated.

Baldwin escaped the immediate danger by swimming away from the Confederate position and concealing himself in the surrounding swamp. The mission had failed to destroy the ironclad, but the sailors now faced the additional challenge of returning safely to their ship.

Separated from the safety of USS Wyalusing, Baldwin spent two days and nights traveling through dangerous territory without food. He had to avoid Confederate forces while making his way through the difficult landscape.

After enduring exhaustion and hunger, Baldwin was eventually rescued and returned to Union naval protection. His survival completed an operation that had required him to risk his life both in the attempt to destroy the enemy vessel and during his escape.

Although CSS Albemarle remained intact, Baldwin's actions were recognized for their exceptional courage, determination, and willingness to undertake a hazardous mission. His individual contribution included transporting the explosives, crossing the river under dangerous conditions, and escaping after the operation was discovered.

His conduct demonstrated that battlefield bravery was not limited to successful attacks. Baldwin had volunteered for a mission involving considerable personal risk and had continued fulfilling his assigned responsibilities until enemy detection made the operation impossible.

The United States Navy recognized his bravery with the Medal of Honor under General Order No. 45, dated December 31, 1864. His fellow volunteers also received the Medal of Honor for their participation in the attempted destruction of CSS Albemarle.

Baldwin's performance brought him additional professional recognition. On June 9, 1864, he was appointed Acting Master's Mate for gallantry, advancing from the coal heaver rating he had held during the mission. This appointment represented the highest rank recorded in his naval career.

He continued his naval service after the operation and was honorably discharged on January 12, 1865. His documented career in the Navy had been relatively brief, but his participation in the Roanoke River expedition had secured his place among the distinguished sailors of the Civil War.

The Confederate ironclad that Baldwin and his companions had attempted to destroy remained a threat until October 1864, when it was sunk in a separate Union naval operation led by Lieutenant William B. Cushing. Baldwin's earlier mission was one of the documented attempts to eliminate the vessel.

Little reliable information is available concerning Baldwin's civilian occupation and personal activities after his departure from the Navy. He lived for several decades following the Civil War and died in 1911. He was buried at Christ Church Cemetery in Accokeek, Maryland.

Baldwin's military service received a lasting tribute when the United States Navy named the destroyer USS Baldwin (DD-624) in his honor. The destroyer entered service during the Second World War, carrying the name of the Civil War sailor into a new generation of American naval history.

Charles H. Baldwin's legacy is defined by his willingness to volunteer for a dangerous operation against a heavily armored Confederate warship. His actions on the Roanoke River demonstrated courage under enemy fire, physical endurance, and determination in the face of an unsuccessful mission.

From his service as a coal heaver aboard USS Wyalusing to his advancement as Acting Master's Mate, Baldwin's documented naval career reflected the exceptional bravery recognized by the Medal of Honor. His name remains associated with the daring attempt against CSS Albemarle and with the United States Navy's history of recognizing individual courage in combat.