Brooks, William Param, 1832-1899.

William Param Brooks, Confederate Navy engineer, was born 27 March 1832, in Edgefield District, South Carolina, and died in 1889. When the Civil War began, Brooks, in service on the steamer HAVANA, was asked to join the Confederate Navy. His ship was renamed the SUMTER, and he served aboard her until April 1862, when he was assigned duty on the steamer ALABAMA. After the sinking of that ship, he was sent to Calais, France, for duty on the ship, RAPPAHANNOCK, which was commissioned in 1863, but was detained in France until the end of the war. In 1865, he became Chief Engineer of the Confederate Navy and was on the STONEWALL when it was seized by the Spanish in Havana. He later served as chief engineer on Spanish ships.