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Ordinary Seaman · U.S. Navy

Daniel Griffin George

Ordinary Seaman Daniel Griffin George, Navy, received the Medal of Honor for actions on October 27, 1864 in Plymouth, North Carolina during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War October 27, 1864

Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Ordinary Seaman Daniel Griffin George received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 27, 1864 in Plymouth, North Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S. Picket Boat No. 1. George was 24 years old.

15 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.

George was born on July 7, 1840 in Plaistow, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. His Medal of Honor is credited to New Hampshire. George died on February 26, 1916 in Amesbury, Massachusetts, at the age of 75. He is buried at Locust Grove Cemetery in Merrimac, Massachusetts. Records also list him as served as Smith, William.

George is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 35 credited to New Hampshire.

Official Medal of Honor citation

George served on board the U.S. Picket Boat No. 1 in action, 27 October 1864, against the Confederate ram Albemarle, which had resisted repeated attacks by our steamers and had kept a large force of vessels employed in watching her. The picket boat, equipped with a spar torpedo, succeeded in passing the enemy pickets within 20 yards without being discovered and then made for the Albemarle under a full head of steam. Immediately taken under fire by the ram, the small boat plunged on, jumped the log boom which encircled the target, and exploded its torpedo under the port bow of the ram. The picket boat was destroyed by enemy fire and almost the entire crew was taken prisoner or lost.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Plaistow — map
  • Died: Amesbury — map
  • Buried: Merrimac — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New Hampshire →

From the archives

Daniel G. George served in Company D, 1st Massachusetts Cavalry prior to serving in the U.S. Navy. The picture above was taken while he served in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry.

Timeline

  1. July 7, 1840
    Born in Plaistow, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
  2. October 27, 1864
    Act of valor — Plymouth, North Carolina
    Age 24. U.S. Picket Boat No. 1
  3. February 26, 1916
    Died in Amesbury, Massachusetts
    Age 75.
  4. Resting place
    Locust Grove Cemetery
    Merrimac, Massachusetts

Biography

Daniel Griffin George (July 7, 1840 – February 26, 1916) alias William Smith was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

From the Wikipedia article “Daniel G. George”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on October 27, 1864

SB Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr. First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 Jeremiah Z. Brown Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 LD Lorenzo Denning Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 AE Andrew Henry Embler Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 RH Richard Hamilton Coal Heaver · Navy Civil War · 1864 Bernard Harley Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 EH Edward J. Houghton Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 Robert Henry King Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 DM Daniel J. Murphy Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 CO Charles Alvin Orr Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Alonzo Smith Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 Joseph Sewall Smith Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864

See all 16 recipients for October 27, 1864 →

More Civil War recipients from New Hampshire

CH Charles Hawkins Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 AC Abraham Cohn Sergeant Major · Army Civil War · 1864 GR George Frank Robie Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 HR Henry Walker Rowe Private · Army Civil War · 1864 CM Charles Melville Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 RA Robert N. Anderson Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1863
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.