Richard Worsam Meade

Richard Worsam Meade III (also called Richard Worsam Meade, Jr., by many sources) (October 9, 1837 – May 4, 1897) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Biography Born in New York City, he was the son of Captain Richard Worsam Meade II, USN, and followed his father by entering the Navy on October 2, 1850. He was attached to the steam frigate of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1851–1854, and the sailing frigate in the Home Squadron in 1854–1855, before attending the United States Naval Academy in 1856. He was promoted to passed midshipman on June 20, 1856. He served in the steam frigate in 1856–1857, and off Africa in 1857–1859 on board the corvette and the sloop of war . Promoted to Lieutenant on January 23, 1858, Meade was an officer of the steamer and sailing sloop of war , both units of the Pacific Squadron, during 1859–1861. After returning to the East Coast from the Pacific in mid-1861, Lieutenant Meade was hospitalized for a few months for a tropical illness, then provided gunnery instruction to volunteer officers as the Navy expanded to meet the challenges of the American Civil War. In January 1862 he became executive officer of the steam sloop and later held the same position on the new gunboat .