b. 29/03/1845 New York. d. 01/11/1897 New York.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 05/08/1864 Mobile Bay, Alabama.
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. 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. He was discharged from the New York City Police Department on September 1, 1897 after serving since 1873.
In 1983, Woram was involved in a scandal in which his wife Hilah was tried for abduction and aiding in the sexual assault of her daughter Eliza Josephine. Hilah wanted her underage daughter to marry the clerk Henry Bentley when the two took Eliza sometime in February and Hilah allegedly forced her daughter to have relations with Bently. Charles Woram was informed by his daughter three months later leading to her transfer to the Gerry Society.
Now under arrest, Hilah and Bentley were put on trial. Bentley confessed to the assault and placed the date of the incident as February 26. Hilah was retried due to the disagreement and dismissal of the jury. The retrial also failed. Hilah believed her sister to be behind it as revenge after being spurned by Charles after his marriage to Hilah in 1876. Released from custody in October 1893, Hilah was soon in court again in May 1894 for making threats towards her now married daughter. 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.
MOH CITATION:
Served on board the U.S.S. Oneida in the engagement at Moblie 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.
BURIAL LOCATION: WOODLAWN CEMETERY, BRONX, NEW YORK.
LOT A, RANGE 95, GRAVE 3.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
