Donaldsonville, Louisiana-- Part 1: Former State Capital and Fort Butler

From Wikipedia.

Abner Read was mortally wounded in a fight with Confederates near here on July 7, 1863.  He died the next day.

I'd never heard of this town before or its role in the Civil War.

It was the former capital of Louisiana (1829-1831), moved from New Orleans as English-speaking people in the state wanted to get the capital away from all the French people on New Orleans.

Union forces attacked and occupied the city in 1862.  Fort Butler was built to protect the city and it was successfully defended on June  28, 1863,  against a Confederate attack.  This marked the first time that free blacks and fugitive slaves fought as soldiers on behalf of the Union Army.  The fort is listed on the NRHP.

--Old B-Runner

July 7, 1863: Death of Abner Read, USN

From the Civil War Naval Chronology.

JULY 7, 1863:  The USS Monongahela, Commander Abner Read, and the USS New London, Lt. Cmdr. George H. Perkins, engaged Confederate field batteries behind the levee about twelve miles below Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

Read, characterized by Farragut as "one of the most gallant and enterprising officers in my squadron," was  mortally wounded in the action.

This should be accurate, so Abner Read was on and in command of the Monongahela at the engagement and was in the company of his former command, the USS New London.

--Old B-R'er

Dr. Ezra Read, Surgeon and Abner Read's Brother

I have been writing about him in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog the last several days.

He was a very successful physician at Terre Haute, Indiana, before and after the war.  He took part in the Texas Revolution during the 1830s and treated captured Mexican leader and general Santa Anna.

During the Civil War he was the surgeon of the 21st Indiana Infantry and then the 11th Indiana Cavalry.

Click on My Blogs Saw the Elephant: Civil War to read about him.

--Old B-Runner

Sgt. Albert Husband, USMC

From Find-A-Grave.

Sergeant Albert Husband was also aboard the USS Monongahela on the action where Abner Read was mortally wounded.

Born 7 April 1837  Died 6 May 1921

USMC

Enlisted  7 July 1864
Mustered out February 1868

The enlistment was considerably after when Read was killed in 1863.  Perhaps Husband was in the Navy and transferred to the Marines.

Burial Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

USNH Plot 3  Row 9  Grave 8

This U.S. Navy Plot has many naval Medal of Honor winners buried there.  I'll have to write about it some time in the future.

--Old B-Runner

George Dewey At Battle Where Abner Read Killed

From Wikipedia.

The future Spanish-American War hero George Dewey was at the engagement where Abner Read lost his life.

George Dewey was a young Union officer in 1863 and really making a name for himself on the Mississippi River.  He was highly complimented by his superior officers and Farragut himself.  Farragut made Dewey the executive officer on the USS Agawam, a small gunboat that the admiral often used to carry dispatches and he would be on it when he personally reconnoitered.

Because of its movements, the ship was often under fire by Confederate sharpshooters and temporary batteries.

In July 1863, there was a small engagement at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which resulted in the death of the USS Monongahela's commander, Abner Read and the severe wounding of its executive officer.

Dewey was present and so distinguished himself for conspicuous gallantry that he was recommended for promotion.  He was given temporary command of the Agawam.

Dewey would later be at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner

Was Abner Read On the Monongahela or New London When He Was Mortally Wounded?

As I mentioned in the last two posts, there is some question as to which of these two ships Abner Read was on when he was mortally wounded, plus, the Wikipedia article on him has him dying the following day after the wound, July 8, 1863.

The Find-A-Grave site has his dying on July 12, 1863.  Also, he was commanding the USS New London at the time of his death.A page listing Union naval officer deaths accompanying the Find-A-Grave site has Abner Read dying on July 12, 1863 and having been on the USS Monongahela.

The Together We Served site on Melancton Smith has him commanding the USS Monongahela 1862-1863.  (He also commanded the frigate USS Wabash at both Battles of Fort Fisher.)

The USS Monongahela Wikipedia article has that ship, accompanied by the USS New London involved in the July 7, 1863 battle 12 miles below Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in which the Monongahela's new commander, Abner Read, was killed in action.

So, Go Figure.  --Old B-R'er

Abner Read, USN-- Part 7: Held in High Regard By Farragut "A Source Of Terror To the Rebels"

Regardless of what ship Abner Read may have been on: the USS New London or USS Monongahela,
he was wounded in both the abdomen and his right knee by a Confederate shell that crashed through his ship's bulwarks on the port quarter.

He was taken to a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he died on the evening of the following day.

Farragut and the other officers of the fleet were lavish on the praise they heaped on their fallen comrade  Farragut said that Read  had "...perhaps done as much as any man in this war ....  The very mention of his name was a source of terror to the rebels."

On another occasion, Farragut said, "I know nothing of him prejudicial as a man, but I do know  that no Navy can boast a better officer and I deem him a great loss to both the Navy and to his country."

Legacy:  The destroyers USS Abner Read (DD-526) sunk by a kamikaze in World War II and USS Abner Read (DD-769), a planned ship that wasn't built because of the end of World War II, were named after him.

--Old B-Runner

Abner Read, USN-- Part 5: The Lighthouse Battle

Again, the reason I am writing about him is that I have been writing about the ship  named after him that had its stern blown off by a Japanese mine and later was sunk by a kamikaze in World War II.

Read was promoted to lieutenant commander on 16 July 1862.

On April 18, 1963, he led a  boat expedition which landed  near the lighthouse at Sabine Pass, Texas.  They were attacked by a large group of Confederates who had been hiding in the lighthouse keeper's home.  All but one of Read's group were wounded as they raced back to their boat and rowed out to the New London.

Read suffered a serious wound  to his eye.  Yet, despite this painful wound, he remained on duty until his ship returned to New Orleans for repairs in late May.

--Old B-Runner

Abner Read, USN-- Part 4: Takes Over 30 Prizes, Farragut's Impressed

In the next months, the USS New London took over 30 prizes.  Her success was so remarkable that Flag Officer David Farragut felt he had to have the ship in his new command when he took command of the eastern section of the Gulf Squadron, now called the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.

He wrote:  "...Lieutenant Read's  having made her such a terror to the Confederates in this quarter that justice to the service required me to keep her ...,"    He continued, she was "...absolutely necessary  to command the inland passage...."

For his part, Read was ready for any undertaking.    When he found "...two rebel steamers...at Pass Christian..." on  25 March 1862, the New London headed straight for the CSS Pamlico and CSS Oregon and drove them off to the protection of Confederate shore batteries. after a two-hour engagement.

--Old B-Runner

Abner Read, USN-- Part 3: Helped Save Fort Pickens and Took Command of the USS New London

Read was aboard the USS Supply in Pensacola, Florida,  when the secession crisis came after Abraham Lincoln was elected president.  The USS Wyandotte arrived and needed its hull scraped.  The steamer was short of officers since so many had resigned to cast their lots with the fledgling Confederacy so Read was sent to it.

In her, he helped prevent the Confederates from taking over Fort Pickens.  During this time, though, he fell sick and was sent home to recuperate.

Once recovered, he took over the newly acquired USS New  London on her commissioning 29 October 1861.  Assigned to the Gulf Squadron, he was stationed in Mississippi Sound where she was joined by the USS R.R. Cuyler.  They rook the schooner Olive  on 21 November 1861 with a load of lumber.

--Old B-R'er

Abner Read, USN-- Part 2: Service Aboard Many Ships

Continued from November 5.

Abner Read was born in Urbana, Ohio, and studied at Ohio University, but left before graduation to take a warrant as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy, effective 2 March 1839.  He was assigned to the schooner USS Enterprise in South American waters.  Next, he was on the ship of the line USS Delaware (this ship was burned at Norfolk Navy Yard on April 20, 1861, to prevent capture by Confederates).

After Navy School in Philadelphia, he spent time on the USS Dolphin searching for slavers off the coast of Africa through the summer of 1847.

Then he was on the store ship USS Fredonia at the end of the Mexican War and then to California during the gold rush.  Other duties were on the USS Union, USS Saranac, USS Falmouth and USS Supply.

--Old B-Runner

Abner Read, USN-- Part 1: Had a WW II Destroyer Named After Him

I have been writing a lot about a World War II destroyer named after him in my Tattooed On Your Soul: World War II blog last month and this month.  The ship had a 70-foot section of its stern blown off in 1943 which was just found this past summer.  It was later sunk by a kamikaze.

If you want to read more about it, click on My Blog List to the right of this.  I have decided to learn more about him.

From Wikipedia.

(5 April 1821 to 7 July 1863)

Was an officer in the Union Navy who distinguished himself during the Civil War.  He died of injuries received while patrolling the Mississippi River in the USS New London.  At the time of his death he was a lieutenant commander.

--Old B-Runner