Charles Williamson Flusser (September 27, 1832 – April 19, 1864) was an officer in the
United States Navy during the
American Civil War.
Biography
Born at
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
,
Maryland, Flusser entered the
United States Naval Academy in 1847 and graduated with the Class of 1853 with the rank of
passed midshipman.
He received promotion to master and then lieutenant on September 15 and 16, 1855,
while serving in the
South American Squadron. In early 1861, Flusser was appointed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and oversaw its relocation to
Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.
Flusser served on blockade duty off the coast of Georgia in late 1861, before being appointed commander of the gunboat for the
Burnside Expedition
Burnside's North Carolina Expedition (also known as the Burnside Expedition) was a series of engagements fought along the North Carolina Coast between February and June 1862. The expedition was part of Winfield Scott's overall Anaconda Plan, which ...
, taking part in the victory at the
Battle of Elizabeth City in February 1862.
Flusser was promoted to lieutenant commander in July 1862,
also assuming command of all Union gunboats in
Albemarle Sound. He took part in the
expedition against Franklin, Virginia, in October 1862, with his ship only narrowly escaping capture.
Flusser was killed in action on April 19, 1864, during the
Battle of Plymouth, commanding the Union naval forces present. In the engagement between the and against the
Confederate ironclad
An ironclad is a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by Wrought iron, iron or steel iron armor, armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships ...
. In that action, Flusser personally fired a cannon shell at the Confederate ironclad. The shell, with a 10-second fuse, bounced off the ''Albemarle's'' armor and landed back on the deck of the ''Miami'', where its explosion killed him.
Brigadier General Henry W. Wessells
Henry Walton Wessells (February 20, 1809 – January 12, 1889) was an American brigadier general, best known for his service during the American Civil War, including his surrender of Union fortifications during the Battle of Plymouth in 1864.
Ea ...
, commanding the garrison at
Plymouth, North Carolina, noted: "In the death of this accomplished sailor the Navy has lost one of its brightest ornaments..."
Flusser was interred at the
military cemetery in New Bern, but in 1868 his remains were transferred to the
Naval Academy Cemetery.
Namesakes
Four
United States Navy ships have been named in his honor.
See also
References
*
Lieutenant Commander Charles W. Flusserat the
U.S. Naval Historical Center
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flusser, Charles W.
1832 births
1864 deaths
Union Navy officers
United States Naval Academy alumni
United States Navy officers
People of Maryland in the American Civil War
Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War
People from Annapolis, Maryland
Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery