Our account of Read and the 1863 Confederate excursion into Casco Bay has been all too brief as is necessary to this venue. Interested readers will find more than one good source if they Google Lt. Charles W. Read or Caleb Cushing. Some years ago we were fortunate to acquire the life journals of Portland, Maine resident and Caleb Cushing affair participant, John Mead Gould. A prolific writer all of his life, Gould continued his detailed journals through the Civil War years and his service in the 1st, 10th & 29th Maine Volunteer Infantry. His war journals were clearly worthy of publication and so after some little tribulation familiar to any who have embark on such a project, the Gould War Journals were successfully published and are available on our sales site at GunsightAntiques.com. (We are pleased to say the full lifetime set of Gould’s journals have been placed with the Maine Historical Society.) Clearly set in his ways and opinionated with a liberal application of dry Yankee humor, Gould’s way with words and keen observational skills offer an enjoyable read. As luck would have it the 10th Maine Major was home on leave and awaiting the formation of the 29th Maine Regiment when Confederate Navy Lt. Charles W. Read and his crew sailed into Portland harbor and captured the U. S. Revenue Cutter Caleb Cushing. Major Gould was on the deck of the Chesapeake as the hastily commandeered passenger boat with her burden of hornet mad Yankees steamed out in pursuit of the invading Confederates. In his journal Gould left us with a detailed eyewitness account of the incident from the deck of the persuing Chesapeake. Upon visiting Fort Preble the following day Gould had the opportunity to observe the Confederate Officer in captivity. He recorded his observation simply: Lieut. Reed commanding is a very little fellow but plucky and active. He graduated at Annapolis in 1860 and [they]say he is a pet of Jeff