John C. Donnelly (1839–1895) was a Union Navy sailor in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay. Born in 1839 in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, Donnelly immigrated to the United States and was living in New York when he joined the U.S. Navy. He served during the Civil War as an

ordinary seaman __NOTOC__ An ordinary seaman (OS) is a member of the deck department of a ship. The position is an apprenticeship to become an able seaman, and has been for centuries. In modern times, an OS is required to work on a ship for a specific amount o ...

on the . At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, he was among the crew of a small boat sent from ''Metacomet'' to rescue survivors of the , which had been sunk by a

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...

(then known as a "torpedo"). Despite intense fire, the boat crew was able to pull ten ''Tecumseh'' men from the water. For this action, Donnelly was awarded the Medal of Honor a year and a half later, on January 15, 1866. Five other members of the boat crew also received the medal: Seaman James Avery, Quarter Gunner Charles Baker, Captain of the Forecastle John Harris, Seaman Henry Johnson, and Landsman Daniel Noble. Donnelly's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. ''Metacomet''. As a member of the boat's crew which went to the rescue of the U.S. Monitor ''Tecumseh'' when that vessel was struck by a torpedo in passing the enemy forts in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, Donnelly braved the enemy fire which was said by the admiral David Farragut ">David_Farragut.html" ;"title="David Farragut">David Farragut to be "one of the most galling" he had ever seen and aided in rescuing from death 10 of the crew of the ''Tecumseh'', eliciting the admiration of both friend and foe.

Donnelly died in 1895 at age 55 or 56.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donnelly, John C. 1839 births 1895 deaths British emigrants to the United States People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union Navy sailors United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients English-born Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor