Michael Hudson (c. 1834 – December 28, 1891) was a sergeant serving in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

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 ...

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 actions in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Life and career

Hudson was born in about 1834 in

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and after immigrating to the United States he joined the Marine Corps from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

on September 12, 1861. He was a sergeant assigned to the

Marine Detachment A Marine Detachment, or MarDet, was a unit of 35 to 85 United States Marines aboard large warships including cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. They were a regular component of a ship's company from the formation of the United States Ma ...

aboard the when it was sent to fight in the American Civil War. On August 5, 1864, during the Battle of Mobile Bay the ''Brooklyn'', along with several other ships waged a campaign against several confederate controlled forts and gunboats. During the battle the ''Brooklyn'' suffered severe damage and several men on board were killed. Hudson continued fighting through the 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram . For this action he received the United States militaries highest decoration for valor, the

December 31, 1864. Hudson was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps on October 25, 1865.USMC History Division He died December 28, 1891.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 1834, Sligo County, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation:

On board the U.S.S. ''Brooklyn'' during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram ''Tennessee'' in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked the decks, Sgt. Hudson fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram ''Tennessee''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Michael 1830s births 1891 deaths 19th-century Irish people United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers Union Marines People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Burials in Michigan Irish emigrants to the United States Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from County Sligo American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor People from Charlotte, Michigan

Life and career

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

External links