Seaman Albert Burton was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on January 15, 1865 at Fort Fisher, North Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Wabash. Burton was about 27 years old.
30 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Burton was born in 1838 in England — one of 98 recipients born in England. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York. His medal is held by Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC.
Burton is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Served on board the U.S.S. Wabash in the assault on Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865. Advancing gallantly through the severe enemy fire while armed only with a revolver and cutlass which made it impossible to return the fire at that range, Burton succeeded in reaching the angle of the fort and going on, to be one of the few who entered the fort. When the rest of the body of men to his rear were forced to retreat under a devastating fire, he was forced to withdraw through the lack of support, and to seek the shelter of one of the mounds near the stockade from which point he succeeded in regaining the safety of the ship.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
- Born: England — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- 1838Born in England
- January 15, 1865Act of valor — Fort Fisher, North CarolinaAge about 27. U.S.S. Wabash
Biography
Albert Burton (c. 1838 – unknown) was a sailor in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.
From the Wikipedia article “Albert Burton”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
