Boatswain's Mate Charles Deakin was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864 at Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Richmond. Deakin was about 27 years old.
97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Deakin was born in 1837 in New York, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Deakin died on October 5, 1865 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of about 28. He is buried at Rosedale Cemetery. Records also list him as Deykin, Charles.
Deakin is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.
Official Medal of Honor citation
As captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Richmond during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Deakin fought his gun with skill and courage throughout a furious two-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan. He also participated in the actions at Forts Jackson and St. Philip.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →
Timeline
- 1837Born in New York, New York
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge about 27. U.S.S. Richmond
- October 5, 1865Died in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaAge about 28.
- Resting placeRosedale Cemetery
Biography
Charles Deakin (1837 – October 4, 1865), born Charles Deykin, was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay.
From the Wikipedia article “Charles Deakin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
