Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell

Background

Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell was born on June 11, 1823 at Hingham, Massachusetts, United States; the son of Charles H. and Susan (Blagge) Caldwell.

Career

Caldwell entered the navy as midshipman on February 27, 1838, and was promoted to lieutenant on September 4, 1852.

On October 11, 1858, while on duty in the Vandalia, he commanded a detachment from that vessel, defeated a force of cannibal savages at Wega in the Fiji Islands, and burned their town. In 1862 he commanded the gunboat Itasca of the West Gulf blockading squadron under Admiral Farragut, and took part in the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. On April 20, 1862, Lieut. Caldwell in the Itasca and Lieut. Peirce Crosby in the Pinola, under Capt. H. H. Bell, were detailed on a night expedition to break a chain which extended from shore to shore below the forts. The movement was detected by the defenders of Fort Jackson, and its fire concentrated on the two vessels, without however preventing the parting of the cable, which left a passageway open on the left bank of the river. On April, 24 came the long-prepared execution of the plan to pass the forts, the entire success of which led to the speedy reduction of these important defenses and the capture of New Orleans. During the running fight, the Itasca, crippled by a shot which wrecked her boiler, was one of the three vessels of the fleet unable to get by the forts. Caldwell was obliged to drop down the river, out of action, and run his ship, which bore the scars of fourteen shots, ashore. He took part in the action at Grand Gulf on June 9, 1862. His promotion to commander followed, dating from July 16, 1862, during the autumn of which year he received command of the Essex and of the mortar flotilla in the Mississippi squadron, participating in the operations at Port Hudson during the spring of 1863. He was then transferred to the command of the Glaucus of the North Atlantic blockading squadron, 1863-64, and of the R. R. Cuyler of the same squadron until 1865. He was commissioned captain December 12, 1867, was chief-of-staff of the North Atlantic Fleet in 1870, and was promoted commodore June 14, 1874.

Achievements

• He is noted for defeating a force of cannibal savages at Wega in the Fiji Islands, taking part in the bombardment of Forts Jackson, St. Philip and in the action at Grand Gulf. He participated in the operations at Port Hudson, as well.

References

• The Naval History of the Civil War
• History of the Town of Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts (Classic Reprint)