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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Ordinary Seaman · U.S. Navy

Franklin L. Wilcox

Ordinary Seaman Franklin L. Wilcox, Navy, received the Medal of Honor for actions on January 15, 1865 at Fort Fisher, North Carolina during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War January 15, 1865

Ordinary Seaman Franklin L. Wilcox, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on January 15, 1865 at Fort Fisher, North Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Minnesota. Wilcox was about 35 years old.

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

Wilcox was born in November 1830 in Paris, Oneida County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York. Wilcox died on November 16, 1898 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the age of about 68. He is buried at Grand Rapids Veterans Home Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Wilcox 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

On board the U.S.S. Minnesota in action during the assault on Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865. Landing on the beach with the assaulting party from his ship, Wilcox advanced to the top of the sandhill and partly through the breach in the palisades, despite enemy fire which killed and wounded many officers and men. When more than two-thirds of the men became seized with panic and retreated on the run, he remained with the party until dark when it came safely away, bringing its wounded, its arms and its colors.,Grand Rapids (Soldier's Home)

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Paris — map
  • Died: Grand Rapids — map
  • Buried: Grand Rapids Veterans Home Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. November 1830
    Born in Paris, Oneida County, New York
  2. January 15, 1865
    Act of valor — Fort Fisher, North Carolina
    Age about 35. U.S.S. Minnesota
  3. November 16, 1898
    Died in Grand Rapids, Michigan
    Age about 68.
  4. Resting place
    Grand Rapids Veterans Home Cemetery
    Grand Rapids, Michigan

Biography

Franklin L. Wilcox (1830 – November 16, 1898) was a U.S. sailor stationed aboard the USS Minnesota 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 “Franklin L. Wilcox”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on January 15, 1865

BA Bruce Anderson Private · Army Civil War · 1865 GB Gurdon H. Barter Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1865 DB David L. Bass Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1865 PB Philip Bazaar Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1865 AB Albert Burton Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1865 Alaric B. Chapin Private · Army Civil War · 1865 TC Thomas Connor Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1865 Newton Martin Curtis Brigadier General · Army Civil War · 1865 William Henry Freeman Private · Army Civil War · 1865 JG John Griffiths Captain of the Forecastle · Navy Civil War · 1865 TH Thomas Harcourt Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1865 TK Thomas Kane Captain of the Hold · Navy Civil War · 1865

See all 31 recipients for January 15, 1865 →

More Civil War recipients from New York

JG John Greene Captain of the Forecastle · Navy Civil War · 1862 Joel Huntington Lyman Quartermaster Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 MM Michael C. Murphy Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864 FS Frank Shubert Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 CO Charles Alvin Orr Private · Army Civil War · 1864 CB Chester Bennett Bowen Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864
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.