Charles Bromley Woram (March 29, 1845 – November 1, 1897) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay.
Biography
Born on March 29, 1845, in New York City, Woram shifted from merchant shipping to the Navy to serve in the Civil War. He was the son of a merchant and was well educated.[1] He served during the Civil War as a seaman on the USS Oneida. At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, he showed "cool courage" while carrying orders for the ship's executive officer. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on December 31, 1864.[2][3] He was discharged from the New York City Police Department on September 1, 1897 after serving since 1873.[1] He was involved in unfortunate scandal in 1893 when his wife Hilah was tried for abduction and aiding in the sexual assault of her daughter Eliza Josephine.[4][5] Mrs. Woram wanted her underage daughter to marry the clerk Henry Bentley when the two took Eliza sometime in February and Mrs. Woram allegedly forced her daughter to have relations with Bently.[5] Charles Woram was informed by his daughter three months later leading to her transfer to the Gerry Society. Now under arrest, Mrs. Woram and Bentley were put on trial. Henry Bentley confessed to the assault and placed the date of the incident as February 26.[6] Mrs. Woram was retried due to the disagreement and dismissal of the jury.[7] The retrial also failed.[8] Mrs. Woram believed her sister to be behind it as revenge after being spurned by Charles after his marriage to Hilah in 1876.[9] Released from custody in October 1893, Mrs. Woram was soon in court again in May 1894 for making threats towards her now married daughter.[10][11] After the surrender of Bentley on November 15, 1894, Eliza retracted all charges saying they were fabricated with aid from her aunt and uncle Thorpe and William Cambell.[12][13] Woram died on November 1, 1897, at age 52 and was buried in Secton A, Range 95, Grave 23 of Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York).
Citation
Woram's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Served on board the U.S.S. Oneida in the engagement at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Acting as an aid to the executive officer, Woram carried orders intelligently and correctly, distinguishing himself by his cool courage throughout the battle which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee and the damaging of Fort Morgan.[3]
References
- ^ a b "DEATH LIST OF A DAY". The New York Times. November 4, 1897. p. 7.
- ^ "Charles B. Woram". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
- ^ a b "Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (M–Z)". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 26, 2011. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
- ^ "MRS. WORAM ON TRIAL". The Evening World. July 11, 1893. p. 5.
- ^ a b "ACCUSES HER OWN MOTHER". The Evening World. July 12, 1893. p. 1.
- ^ "BENTLEY TO MRS. WORAM'S AID". The Evening World. July 13, 1893. p. 2.
- ^ "MRS. WORAM TO BE RETRIED". The Evening World. July 14, 1893. p. 6.
- ^ "Seven for Acquitting Mrs. Woram". The Sun. September 23, 1893. p. 5.
- ^ "HER DAUGHTER IS HER ACCUSER". The World. July 12, 1893. p. 9.
- ^ "A STORY ABOUT MRS. MEYER". New-York Tribune. October 13, 1893. p. 4.
- ^ "MRS. WORAM ACCUSED AGAIN". The Evening World. May 18, 1894. p. 5.
- ^ "BENTLEY SURRENDERED". The Evening World. November 15, 1894. p. 3.
- ^ "TAKES BACK ALL HER CHARGES". The Sun. November 16, 1894. p. 7.