Black and white photographic portrait ofMedal of Honor recipient William R. Pelham, wearing medal, for service during the Civil War. Other badges worn by the sitter include a Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Delegate/Representative badge and a GAR membership lapel pin.
Pelham was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Civil War in the Battle of Mobile Bay.
On August 5, 1864, Rear Admiral David Farragut commanded a Union fleet of fourteen wooden ships and four Monitors past Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay to attack the Confederate fleet positioned there. Farragut famously climbed the mast of the U.S.S. Hartford and had himself secured with ropes to better view the battle. Out of the Union Monitors, only the Tecumseh was lost in the Confederate minefield at the mouth of the bay. Once in position, Farragut’s ships engaged the Confederate flotilla and the formidable ironclad, C.S.S. Tennessee. Farragut was eventually successful in capturing the well-armored Tennessee and subsequently engaged Fort Gaines and Fort Powell through the month of August, eventually forcing Fort Morgan to surrender. The battle was considered an important Union victory, depriving the Confederacy of its last significant Gulf port east of Texas although the city of Mobile itself was not taken.
The inscription on the reverse indicates that Pelham served as a Landsman onboard the Hartford. The inscription narrates that "when the crew of the gun to which he belonged was entirely broken up, owing to the number of its killed and wounded, he assisted in removing the latter below and then immediately returned; and, without any direction to do so, took his place at the adjoining gun, where a vacancy existed, and continued to perform his duties there most faithfully for the remainder of the action."
Official Citation:
PELHAM, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: Halifax, Nova Scotia. Enlisted in: Nova Scotia. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: On board the flagship U.S.S. Hartford during successful actions against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. When the other members of his guncrew were killed or wounded under the enemy's terrific shellfire, Pelham calmly assisted the casualties below and voluntarily returned and took his place at an adjoining gun where another man had been struck down. He continued to fight his gun throughout the remainder of the battle which resulted in the capture of the Tennessee.
Black and white photographic portrait of Medal of Honor recipient John H. Lawson, wearing medal, for service during the Civil War. Other medals worn by the sitter are the Navy Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Medal and a GAR membership badge.
Lawson was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Mobile Bay.
On August 5, 1864, Rear Admiral David Farragut commanded a Union fleet of fourteen wooden ships and four Monitors past Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay to attack the Confederate fleet positioned there. Farragut famously climbed the mast of the U.S.S. Hartford and had himself secured with ropes to better view the battle. Out of the Union Monitors, only the Tecumseh was lost in the Confederate minefield at the mouth of the bay. Once in position, Farragut’s ships engaged the Confederate flotilla and the formidable ironclad, C.S.S. Tennessee. Farragut was eventually successful in capturing the well-armored Tennessee and subsequently engaged Fort Gaines and Fort Powell through the month of August, eventually forcing Fort Morgan to surrender. The battle was considered an important Union victory, depriving the Confederacy of its last significant Gulf port east of Texas although the city of Mobile itself was not taken.
The inscription on the reverse states that Lawson served as a Landsman on the Hartford, adding that he "was one of the six men stationed at the shell-whip on the berthdeck. A shell killed or wounded the whole number. Lawson was wounded in the leg and thrown with great violence against the side of the ship; but, as soon as he recovered himself, although begged to go below, he refused, and went back to the shell-whip, where he remained during the action."
Official Citation:
LAWSON, JOHN
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1837, Pennsylvania. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: On board the flagship U.S.S. Hartford during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the 6-man crew as the shell whipped on the berth deck, Lawson, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties throughout the remainder of the action.
Black and white photographic portrait of Medal of Honor recipient Bartholemew Diggins, wearing medal, for service during the Civil War.
Diggins was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 1864.
On August 5, 1864, Rear Admiral David Farragut commanded a Union fleet of fourteen wooden ships and four Monitors past Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay to attack the Confederate fleet positioned there. Farragut famously climbed the mast of the U.S.S. Hartford and had himself secured with ropes to better view the battle. Out of the Union Monitors, only the Tecumseh was lost in the Confederate minefield at the mouth of the bay. Once in position, Farragut’s ships engaged the Confederate flotilla and the formidable ironclad, C.S.S. Tennessee. Farragut was eventually successful in capturing the well-armored Tennessee and subsequently engaged Fort Gaines and Fort Powell through the month of August, eventually forcing Fort Morgan to surrender. The battle was considered an important Union victory, depriving the Confederacy of its last significant Gulf port east of Texas although the city of Mobile itself was not taken.
The inscription on reverse states that Diggins served on the U.S.S. Hartford, as late ordinary seaman in the U.S. Navy, and received a Medal of Honor for "gallant and meritorious conduct in the presence of the enemy, he having been commended by name in the official report of the officer commanding the gun division in which he served on the U. S. S. Hartford, on the 5th of August, 1864, in the action against Fort Morgan and the enemy's vessels in Mobile Bay, having served with credit in all the engagements in which the Hartford participated during the years 1862, 1863 and 1864, and was four times wounded. Medal awarded Nov. 12, 1891."
Diggins was born in Ireland and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Official Citation:
DIGGINS, BARTHOLOMEW
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1842, Baltimore, Md. Accredited to: Maryland. G.O. No.: 391, 12 November 1891. Citation: On board the flagship, U.S.S. Hartford, during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Diggins, as loader of a gun, remained steadfast at his post throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.
´Black and white photographic portrait of Medal of Honor recipient Cornelius Cronin wearing Medal and standing with hat in hand, for service during the Civil War.
Cronin was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 1864.
On August 5, 1864, Rear Admiral David Farragut commanded a Union fleet of fourteen wooden ships and four Monitors past Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay to attack the Confederate fleet positioned there. Farragut famously climbed the mast of the U.S.S. Hartford and had himself secured with ropes to better view the battle. Out of the Union Monitors, only the Tecumseh was lost in the Confederate minefield at the mouth of the bay. Once in position, Farragut’s ships engaged the Confederate flotilla and the formidable ironclad, C.S.S. Tennessee. Farragut was eventually successful in capturing the well-armored Tennessee and subsequently engaged Fort Gaines and Fort Powell through the month of August, eventually forcing Fort Morgan to surrender. The battle was considered an important Union victory, depriving the Confederacy of its last significant Gulf port east of Texas although the city of Mobile itself was not taken.
The inscription on the reverse of the photograph states that Cronin served as Chief Quartermaster on the U.S.S. Richmond, during the action in Mobile Bay, adding that Cronin was "commended for coolness and close attention to duty in looking out for signals and steering the ship in the action in Mobile Bay on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He has been in the naval service eight years. Joined the Brooklyn in December, 1861; was in the actions with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and with the rebel iron-clads and gunboats below New Orleans; was in the action with the Chalmetto batteries; present at the surrender of New Orleans; and in the attack on the batteries below Vicksburg, in 1862. Joined the Richmond in September, 1863. Afterwards appointed a gunner in the navy."
A Buckley-class destroyer-escort, the U.S.S. Cronin, was named in his honor.
Official Citation:
CRONIN, CORNELIUS
Rank and organization: Chief Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1836, Michigan. Accredited to: Michigan. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Richmond in action at Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Cool and vigilant at his station throughout the prolonged action, Cronin watched for signals and skillfully steered the ship as she trained her guns on Fort Morgan and on ships of the Confederacy despite extremely heavy return fire. He participated in the actions at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, with the Chalmette batteries, at the surrender of New Orleans, and in the attacks on batteries below Vicksburg.
