The Sauk Centre herald., 1917-04-26
DARING SEA ROVER
An Audacious Commerce Raider
of the Days of 1863.
READS CAMPAIGN OF TERROR.

For a Time This Clever Young Con.
federate Naval Officer, by the Havoc
He Wrought. Had the Shipping Trade
of the North In State of Panic.
The daring and romantic exploits of
the rowing commerce destroying cruis-
ers in the great European war recall
the deeds Of very brave and clever
officer who acted as commerce de-
stroyer in the service of the Confed-
eracy. Lieutenant Charles w. Read, a
Mississippian in his early twenties,
who had been In the United States
navy. Joined the Confederate cruiser
Florida on Nov. 4, 1862, while she lay
at Mobile undergoing repairs Read
had already seen gunboat service in
the fighting at New Orleans.
On May 6. 1868. off the coast of Bra
zil the Florida captured the brig Clar-
ence. bound from Rio de Janeiro to
Baltimore with cargo Of coffee. Lieu.
tenant Read suggested that he be per-
mitted to take the captive, with her
cargo and papers intact. and, proceed
ing to Hampton roads, gain entrance
there and either cut out gunboat or
burn the shipping gathered in the
roads. Captain Mafit gave him how
itzer and detailed an assistant engineer
and twenty men for the enterprise.
A month later, off the South Caro-
lima coast. the Clarence captured and
burned the bark Whistling Wind, from
Philadelphia to New Orleans with COAL
The next day it picked up the schooner
Alfred II. Partridge. and Read put her
captain under a $1,000 bond to deliver
the cargo of arms and clothing to the
Confederates. On June he took the
brig Mary Alvina. Boston to New Or
leans with commissary stores.
From his prisoners Read came to the
conclusion that an attempt to enter
Hampton Roads would meet with GER
tain failure. and he turned his atten-
ton entirely to destroying Federal
commerce. On June IL. within eight
miles Of Cape Henry. he made four
captures-the bark Tacony, the schoon
er M. A. Shindler. the schooner Kate
Stewart and the brig Arabella. Since
the Clarence was a poor sailer. the
young commander transferred his crew
and howitzer to the Tacony. The Clar
ence and the M. A. Shindler he burned.
The Arabella he bonded for $4,000
and the Kate Stewart for $1,000. and
he used the latter to take ashore some
fifty prisoners.
Those captures stirred the shipown
ers. and the shipowners promptly stir
red up the secretary of the navy. The
naval commanders at Newport News.
Philadelphia and New York were Or
dered 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 Read bonded her for $40.
0O0 The same day he destroyed the
fishing schooner Micawber. The clip
per ship Byzantium and the bark
GoOdspeed. both bound for New York.
were sunk OH the next day. which was
June q.
BY that time there were more than
twenty Federal vessels pursuing the
TacOny, and the shipping interests of
New York were almost in a state of
panic.
Read now sailed northward and of
the coast of Massachusetts, captured
four fishing schooners on June %. The
following day he took two more. On
June "a he held up the ship Shatemuc,
from Liverpool to Boston, carrying a
large number of immigrants, and bond
ell her for $15O,OOO. That night he cap
tured the fishing schooner Archer.
As the ammunition for the howitzer ,,
had become exhausted, Read transfer
red his crew to the Archer and burned
the TacOny. On the morning of June
rs he picked up Portland light. Two
fishermen, who mistook the schooner
for pleasure party, piloted her into
Portland harbor.
The following morning at half past ] |
o'clock Read and his men boa rded the |
revenue cutter Caleb Cushing. She was
captured without an alarm being given. |
but the tide was running in befese her |
new 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 a |
few rounds ut the pursuing steamers
he put off his prisoners, set the cutter |
on fire and. with his crew, took to the
boats. He surrendered to the com
mauder of the steamer Forest City.
Lieutenant Read made brief report |
Of his cruise on July 30 from Fort |
Warren and more detailed one the |
following year under a Richmond date. |
SO far as the records show, no lives |
were taken in the course of the raid
Youths Companion.
The Drama.