John Williams (1828 – October 3, 1886) was a

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

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 ...

who received 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 Mathias Point The Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia (June 27, 1861) was an early naval action of the American Civil War in connection with the Union blockade and the corresponding effort by the Confederates to deny use of the Potomac to the enemy. Two Uni ...

Military service

Williams was born in 1828 in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. He served during the Civil War as a captain of the maintop on . On June 27, 1861, Williams was among two small boats of men sent from ''Pawnee'' to assist in attacking a Confederate force at Mathias Point on the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

in Virginia. After

skirmisher Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an i ...

s and artillery fire from ''Thomas Freeborn'' cleared the point, men from the small boats landed and attempted to build fortifications. However, a strong counter-attack by the Confederates forced the landing party to retreat under heavy fire. In charge of one of the boats, Williams ordered his men to stay near shore until all members of the party were aboard, declaring that "every man must die on his

thwart A thwart is a part of an undecked boat that provides seats for the crew and structural rigidity for the hull. A thwart goes from one side of the hull to the other. There might be just one thwart in a small boat, or many in a larger boat, especial ...

sooner than leave a man behind". Williams was shot in the thigh and the boat's flag had its staff shot away, after which he held the flag up until the boat reached ''Thomas Freeborn''. All members of the landing party were successfully evacuated. For this action, Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor nearly two years later on April 3, 1863. His was the earliest action for which a Navy Medal of Honor was awarded, but he was not the first to receive the medal. Several Navy men who performed later actions were awarded the medal before him, the first being Robert Williams. John Williams later served on as part of the

European Squadron The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...

and was aboard that ship when he received his physical medal. Williams is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery (Naval Plot) Naval 1, Row 4, Grave 14, Yeadon, PA GPS: 39.93654* N, 075.23911*

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Captain of the Maintop, U.S. Navy. Accredited to: Louisiana. G.O. No.: 11, 3 April 1863. Williams's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Serving as captain of the maintop of the U.S.S. ''Pawnee'' in the attack upon Mathias Point, 26 June 1861, Williams told his men, while lying off in the boat, that every man must die on his thwart sooner than leave a man behind. Although wounded by a musket ball in the thigh he retained the charge of his boat; and when the staff was shot away, held the stump in his hand, with the flag, until alongside the ''Freeborn''.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, John 1828 births 1886 deaths Burials at Mount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia) Military personnel from New Orleans People of Louisiana in the American Civil War Union Navy sailors United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor