Quartermaster Daniel Whitfield was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864 at Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Lackawanna. Whitfield was about 43 years old.
97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Whitfield was born in 1821 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. His Medal of Honor is credited to New Jersey.
Whitfield is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 93 credited to New Jersey.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Serving as quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Lackawanna during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats, and the rebel ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Acting as captain of a gun, Whitfield coolly stood by his gun, holding on to the lock string, and waited alongside the rebel ram Tennessee until able to fire the shot that entered her port. Whitfield courageously carried out his duties during the prolonged action which resulted in the capture of the prize ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of Fort Morgan.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
- Born: Newark — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New Jersey →
Timeline
- 1821Born in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge about 43. U.S.S. Lackawanna
Biography
Daniel Whitfield (born c. 1821, date of death unknown) 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. Born in about 1821 in Newark, New Jersey, Whitfield was still living in that city when he joined the Navy. He served during the Civil War as a quartermaster and gun captain on the USS Lackawanna.
From the Wikipedia article “Daniel Whitfield”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
