Charles J. Bibber

Gunner's Mate Charles James Bibber volunteered for the same dangerous powder-boat mission that was intended to blast a path into the defenses of Fort Fisher.

Charles James Bibber was born on March 22, 1837, at Portland, Maine. During the service relevant to this record, he served as Gunner's Mate with USS Agawam.

On December 23, 1864, at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, Bibber helped take the explosives-laden vessel close to shore under cover of darkness. The volunteer crew set the fuses and fires, fixed the boat's position with an anchor, and transferred back to USS Wilderness before the vessel exploded.

Medal of Honor Citation (condensed)

Volunteered for the Fort Fisher powder-boat mission and helped place and ignite the explosive vessel before the crew withdrew.

Bibber received the Medal of Honor on May 12, 1865, aboard USS Agawam. He died on October 8, 1883, at Revere, Massachusetts, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett.