John Edward Murphy (May 3, 1869 – April 9, 1941) was a
United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the
Medal of Honor—for his actions in the
Spanish–American War.
Biography
Murphy enlisted in the U.S. Navy from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and served in the
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
as a
coxswain during the Spanish–American War. Coxswain Murphy was one of eight volunteer crew members of the
collier , which Rear Admiral
William T. Sampson ordered sunk to block the entrance of
Santiago Harbor
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over , and contains t ...
,
Cuba. On the night of June 2/3, 1898, during the attempt to execute this mission, ''Merrimac''s steering gear was disabled by enemy gunfire, and she sank without obstructing navigation. Her crewmen were rescued by the Spanish and made
prisoners-of-war. After the
Battle of Santiago de Cuba destroyed the Spanish fleet a month later, Murphy and his shipmates were released. For their part in this operation, all eight men were awarded Medals of Honor.
On June 15, 1898, while he was still in Spanish custody, Murphy was promoted to the
warrant officer rank of
Boatswain. In October 1898, Murphy was assigned to the battleship , which soon went to the
Asiatic Station. He reported for training duty on board in September 1901 and several months later began similar service in . In the Summer of 1903 he was assigned to the
armored cruiser in the
Pacific Squadron
The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval s ...
. Murphy was promoted to Chief Boatswain on June 15, 1904. For his last tour, he served in , also in the Pacific, and was placed on the retired list on August 1, 1905.
Chief Boatswain John Edward Murphy died at age 71 and was buried at
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department o ...
,
San Diego, California. His grave can be found in the officer's section, grave 363 GPS (lat/lon): 32.41418, −117.14673.
Medal of Honor citation
Coxswain Murphy's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
In connection with the sinking of the U.S.S. ''Merrimac'' at the entrance to the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, 2 June 1898. Despite heavy fire from the Spanish shore batteries
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
, Murphy displayed extraordinary heroism throughout this operation.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their ...
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, John Edward
1869 births
1941 deaths
19th-century Irish people
Irish sailors in the United States Navy
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
Spanish–American War prisoners of war held by Spain
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
United States Navy officers
Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients
Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor
Irish emigrants to the United States