The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-31
AbRer Read, United
States Navy. -

Commander Abner Read, of the United
States Navy, was mortally wounded while
in the command of the United States
steam sloop, Monongahela, at the bat
teries above Donaldsonville, on the Mis-
sissippi. on the 7th inst, and died IN a
few hours afterward.
Commander Read was a native OF
Ohio, and about forty-two years OF age
at the time of his death. lie was educa-
ted in the Ohio University, at Athens,
which institution he left when in the
senior class, in the year 1889, having re-
ceived midshipman's warrant he oe-
lenged to a family of brothers dlstin-
guished for talent and professional &C
ouirements. He was brother OF the
late Judge Read of the Ohio Supreme
Bench, of DIR. Ezra Read, who is one OF
the most distinguished medical writer's
aud practitioners of the West; of Daniel
Read. Ill. D., the well-known Professor
in the State Universities OF OHIO and In
diana, and now of the State University
of Wisconsin, at Madison, and OF the
late Amasa Read, who died IN the midst
of a distinguished career as a lawyer at
Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
In the slow progress of naval promo
ton Mr.. Read had, by the year 1898,
reached the rank of Lieutenant
-. At tho time of the breaking out OF the
rebellion, he was ordered from other ser
vice to the Wyandotte, the com mand of
which soon devolved upon him. 1t was
this vessel which, in the harbOr of Pen
sacola, performed such important ser
vice in saving Fort Pickens from the
rebels The Wyandotte was on the alert
BY night and day, and was kept con-
stantly on the watch and in readiness
for action. His presence and threaten
ing aspect was main difficulty to the
rebels. By the middle of May the health
of Lieut. Read was found to be SO i'm
paired that upon " medical survey
he was pronounced unfit for service, and
was relieved Upon reaching Brooklyn,
such was his condition that his life was
despaired of, and his friends were tele-
Craphed to come to him Immediately, in
prospect of his death He, however, re-
covered from the attack (chronic dysen-
terv) so far as to be able, after some
weeks, to 90 to the old home, in Ohio,
to recruit his health. The time which
the best medical advisers deemed neces-
sary for thorough recovery in his pecu-
liar disease he declined in the present
; condition of the country, to take, and
asked sailing orders He was assigned
by the Secretary of the Navy to the COM
mand of the steam gunboat New Lon
don.
This vessel proceeded at once to Ship
Island, and commenced cruising in the
Mississippi Sound In eight days she
captured four valuable prizes. She eff
.. fectually broke up the brisk trade that
was at one time carried on between New
: Orleans and Mobile, has earned for her.
l self from the Rebels the appellation OF
the Black Devil
The New London captured nearly thir
ty prizes and took a battery at Biloxi
and had several engagements with Rehe
, steamers on the Sound. The Rebels baG
three CUR boats, and the writer has Otter
seen them fly before the persistent cour
age and dash of Commander Read.
fSfus ms erruurorr,- prtpururvry to rrrt
,, attack upon New Orleans, Commander
,, Read was very DESTROYS to take a part
! in the movement which resulted so glo
riously; but his presence was of so much
!, value in the Mississippi Sound that the
Admiral was reluctantly obliged to keep
him on that station. Two months ago
he lost his left eye in an affair with the
Rebels at Sabine Pass, and it is only
, three weeks since he was given a com
, mission suited to his ability-the steam
sloop-ofwar Monongahela
Abner Reads death will be universal
ly mourned throughout the Navy; he
was beloved by his brother officers, and
had the respect of all who knew him.
Like Admiral Foote, he has made va
caucy hard to fill