Ordinary Seaman Charles Melville—born James Ramsbottom around 1828 in Dover, New Hampshire—served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Enlisting from his hometown, he was assigned to Admiral David Farragut’s flagship, the U.S.S. Hartford, with the rank of Ordinary Seaman.

On August 5, 1864, during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Melville faced one of the war’s most perilous naval engagements. While the Hartford engaged Confederate gunboats, the powerful ironclad ram CSS Tennessee, and the shore batteries of Fort Morgan, a shell exploded between the ship’s two forward 9-inch guns, killing and wounding fifteen men. Melville was among the wounded and was taken below to the surgeon. Refusing to remain out of the fight, he returned to his post on deck, scarcely able to stand, and continued manning his gun until the Union forces captured the Tennessee and secured victory.

For this act of valor, Melville received the Medal of Honor on December 31, 1864. His official citation records his refusal to abandon his station despite his wounds, a testament to his resolve and devotion to duty.

After the war, Melville lived in New Hampshire until his death on January 5, 1867, in Rochester, at the age of 38 or 39. He was buried there, and his Medal of Honor is now preserved in the National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C., where his legacy as a brave and steadfast sailor endures.