Rear Admiral John Joseph Read

Born in Mount Holly, NJ on 17 Jun 1842 and died in Mount Holly, NJ on 24 Oct 1910. Served as Rear Admiral in the US Navy. Fought in the Civil War 1861-1864. US Naval Academy 1858. Acting Midshipman 21 Sep 1858 and on the frigate ‘Potomac’ 1861 on blockade duty in the Gulf of Mexico; Ensign 25 Nov 1862; Lieutenant 22 Feb 1864; Lieutenant Commander 25 Jul 1866; Commander 11 Dec 1877; Captain 27 Apr 1893; Rear Admiral 29 Nov 1900. Served on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts 1861. Division Officer in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron on Admiral Farragut’s flag ship the ‘Hartford’ 1862-1863. Participated in the attack on Port Hudson, LA; Grand Gulf, MS; and Batteries at Warrington below Vicksburg, MS. South Atlantic Squadron 1863-1864 on ‘Cuyler’, and participated in the attack on and capture of Fort Fisher. North Atlantic Blockading Squadron 1864-1865. ‘De Soto’ 1865-1866; ‘Rhode Island’ 1866-1867. ‘Susquehanna’ 1867; ‘Michigan’ 1868-1870, ‘Guerriere’ 1870-1872; ‘Richmond’ 1874-1877; Light House Inspection Duty; Command of the ‘Michigan’1883-1887; ‘Iroquois’ 1891-1892; ‘Independence’ 1894-1895; ‘Olympia’ 1895-1897;and ‘Richmond’ 1898-1900. The first Captain of ‘Olympia’, which he took from San Francisco to Asiatic waters in 1895 with a crew of entirely green men that he developed into the finest marksmen in the Navy before the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. Commandant Portsmouth Navy Yard 1901-1903. Retired 17 Jun 1904. At the time of his retirement had more sea duty than any other officer in the Navy. Member of the Sons of the Revolution and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. [Sources: ;(C); “Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas French”, Volume 2 p335;Find A Grave Memorial; “Who Was Who in America”, Volume 1; Obit.”New York Times” newspaper 25 Oct 1910; Obit. “New Egypt Press” newspaper 28 Oct 1910; Obit. “New York Herald” newspaper 20 Oct 1910. Pic: Naval Historical Museum, Washington, DC #16113.]