Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-07-05
Daring Sea Rover.

Daring Sea Rover.
The daring and romantic exploits o
the rowing commerce destroying cruisers
in the great European war recall the
deeds of very brave and clever officer
who acted as a commerce destroyer IN
the service of the Confederacy. Lieu
tenant Charles W. Read, MissisSippian
in his early twenties, who had been in
the United States navy, joined the Con-
federate cruiser Florida on Nov. 4, 1862,
while she lay at Mobile undergoing re-
pairs. Read had already seen gunboat
service in the fighting at New Orleans.
On May 6, 1868. off the coast OF Brazil
the Florida captured the brig Clarence,
bound from Rio de Jaueiro TO Baltimore
with cargo OF coffee. Lieutenant Read
suggested that he be permitted to take
the captive, with her cargo and papers
intact, and, proceedingto Hampton roads.
gain entrance there and either cut out a
gunboat or burn the shipping gathered
in the roads Captain Moffit gave him a
howitzer and detailed an assistant en-
gineer and twenty men Tor the enterprise.
A month later, off the South Carolina
coast, the Clarence captured and burned
the bark Whistling Wind, from Phila-
delphia to New Orleans with coal. The
next day il picked up the schooner Alfred
H. Partridge, and Read put her captain
under a 5000 bond TO deliver the cargo
of arms and clothing to the Confederates.
On June he took the brig Mary Alvina.
Boston to New Orleans with commissary
stores.
From his prisoners Read came to the
conclusion that an attemptto enter Hamp-
ton Roads would meet with certain failure,
and he turned his attention entirely TO
destroying Federal commerce. On June
IL, within eight miles OF Cape Henry, he
made four captures-the bark Tacony,
the schooner M. A. Shindler, the schooner
Kate Stewart and the brig Arabella.
Since the Clarence was poor sailor, the
young commander transferred his crew
and howitzer to the Tacony. The Clar-
ence and the M. A. Shinder he burned. |
The Arabella he bonded for 1000 and |
the Kate Stewart for ST 1000. and he used
the latter to take ashore some fifty prison.
ers.
Those captures stirred the shipowners,
and the shipowners promptly stirred up
the Secretary of the Navy. The naval
commanders at Newport News, Philadel-
phia and New York were ordered to send
out vessels to chase the raider, which
they did.
Meanwhile the Tacony, under her new
colors, captured the brig Umpire, which,
with her cargo OF sugar and molasses,
was burned on June Is. Five days later
the Tacony seized the packet ship Isaac
Webb, Liverpool TO New York with $50
passengers on board, and Real bonded
her for $4,000. The same day he de-
stroYed the fishing schooner Micawber.
The clipper ship Byzantum and the bark
Goodspeed, both bound for New York,
were sunk on the next day, which was
June Il.
BY that time there were more than
twenty Federal vessels pursuing the
Tacony, and the shipping interests OF
New York were almost in state Of
panic.
Read now sailed northward and off the |
coast OF Massachusetts, captured four fish
ing schooners on June p. The following
day he took two more. On June "a he |
held up the ship Shatemuc, from Liver
pool to Boston, carrying a large number
of immigrants, and bonded her for $780,
600. That night he captured the fishing |
schooner Archer.
As the ammunition for the howitzer |
had become exhausted, Read transferred |
his crew TO the Archer and burned the |
Tacony. On The morning of June 26 he
picked up Portland light. Two fisher
men, who mistook tine schooner for a |
pleasure party, piloted her into Portland |
harbor
The following morning at half past |
O'Clock Read and his men boarded the |
revenue cutter Caleb Gushing. She was
captured without an alarm being given,
but the tide was running in before her |
rev masters could get her under way, |
and the wind had dropped.
They did escape from the harbor, but |
about twenty miles outside two large |
steamers bearing soldiers and armed |
civilians overhauled the cutter. Read |
had not been able TO find the vessels |
stock of ammunition, and after firing
few rounds at the pursuing steamers he
put off his prisoners, set the cutter on
fire and. with his crew, took 10 the boats.
He surrendered TO the commander OF the |
steamer Forest City.