John Harris (born 1839, date of death unknown) was a

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

sailor who received 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 service on in

Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The ...

during 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 ...

. Born in 1839, Harris was living in New York when he joined the Navy. He served during the Civil War as a

captain of the forecastle A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...

on . At the

Battle of Mobile Bay The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was a naval and land engagement of the American Civil War in which a Union fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fle ...

on August 5, 1864, he was among the crew of a small boat sent from ''Metacomet'' to rescue survivors of , 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, Harris 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 James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', Shredder in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', Judge Michael Conover on ''L. ...

, Quarter Gunner Charles Baker, Ordinary Seaman John C. Donnelly, Seaman Henry Johnson, and Landsman Daniel Noble.

Medal of Honor citation

As captain of the forecastle on board the U.S.S. ''Metacomet'', Harris was a member of the boat's crew which went to the rescue of the officers and crew 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 Harris 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'', thereby eliciting the admiration of both friend and foe.

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Year of death missing 1839 births United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients Union Navy officers United States Navy officers American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

Medal of Honor citation

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