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to remember
Brady, George F. (G. Patrick Brady), Gun..
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Contact Info
Last Address Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Date of Passing Nov 06, 1903
Location of Interment Island Annex Cemetery - Newport, Rhode Island
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
In May 1898, a small squadron of the United States Navy was operating off the northern coast of Cuba, consisting of the torpedo boatsFoote and Winslow, the gunboatsWilmington and Machias, and the U.S. Revenue CutterHudson. On May 11, 1898, this fleet was assigned to enter Cárdenas Bay and destroy the three Spanish gunboats reportedly moored in the harbor.Having swept the area for mines, Captain Todd ordered the Winslow to approach the shore and investigate a steamer moored alongside the wharf to determine whether the vessel was an enemy warship.
Battle
By 13:35, Winslow reached a point approximately 1,500 yards from her quarry when a white puff of smoke from the Spaniard's bow gun signaled the beginning of an artillery duel which lasted one hour and twenty minutes. Winslow responded with her 1-pounders. The Spanish concentrated their efforts on Winslow, and she soon received several direct hits. The first shot to score on the torpedo boat destroyed both her steam and manual steering gear. Her crew tried to rig an auxiliary steering system, but she swung broadside to the enemy and a shot pierced her hull near the engine room and knocked the port main engine out of commission. She maneuvered with her remaining engine to evade enemy fire and maintained a steady return fire with her 1-pounders. Wilmington and Hudson brought their guns to bear on the Spanish ship and shore, and the combined fire of the three American warships put the Spanish gunboat out of action while several waterfront buildings caught fire, and the Spaniards suffered a few deaths.All but disabled, Winslow requested Hudson to tow her out of action. The revenue cutter approached the stricken torpedo boat and rigged a tow line between the two ships. As Hudson began to tow Winslow out to sea, one of the last Spanish shells to strike the torpedo boat hit her near the starboard gun and killed Ensign Worth Bagley who had been helping to direct the warship's maneuvers by carrying instructions from the deck to the base of the engine room ladder. Ensign Bagley was the first U.S. naval officer killed in the Spanish-American War.
Aftermath
Badly damaged, Winslow was towed clear of the action. Her commanding officer and several others in her crew were wounded. Lieutenant John Bernadou saw that the dead and wounded were transferred to Hudson, and he then left the ship after turning command over to Chief Gunner's Mate George P. Brady, who (along with Chief Machinist Hans Johnsen and Chief Machinist T. C. Cooney) later received the Medal of Honor. The Commanding Officer of the USRCS Hudson was recommended by President William McKinley and was awarded the Cardenas Gold Medal of Honor. The rest of the USRCS Hudson's crew were awarded lesser medals.
Other Comments:
Medal of Honor citation-
Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 7 September 1867, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 497, September 3, 1898.
Citation:
"Chief gunner's mate on board the torpedo boat Winslow, for gallant and conspicuous conduct in the action at Cardenas, Cuba, May 11, 1898. Brady's energy in assisting to sustain fire, his efforts to repair the steering gear under fire, and his promptness in maintaining closed watertight doors and hatches, was largely instrumental in saving the vessel."
His name in records pertaining to the Medal of Honor is "George F. Brady", and the name on his tombstone is "George P. Brady". The reason for this discrepancy is probably that his name was mis-transcribed when his Medal of Honor citation was written.
