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Chief Quartermaster · U.S. Navy

James W. Verney

Chief Quartermaster James W. Verney, Navy, received the Medal of Honor for actions on February 22, 1865 at Fort Fisher & Wilmington, North Carolina during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War February 22, 1865

Chief Quartermaster James W. Verney, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on February 22, 1865 at Fort Fisher & Wilmington, North Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Pontoosuc. Verney was 31 years old.

One other service member also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.

Verney was born on January 17, 1834 in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine. His Medal of Honor is credited to Portland, Cumberland County, Maine. Verney died on November 29, 1902 in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 68. He is buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Verney is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 66 credited to Maine.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Seved as chief quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Pontoosuc during the capture of Fort Fisher and Wilmington, 24 December 1864 to 22 February 1865. Carrying out his duties faithfully throughout this period, Verney was recommended for gallantry and skill and for his cool courage while under fire of the enemy throughout these various actions.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Bath — map
  • Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Maine →

Timeline

  1. January 17, 1834
    Born in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine
  2. February 22, 1865
    Act of valor — Fort Fisher & Wilmington, North Carolina
    Age 31. U.S.S. Pontoosuc
  3. November 29, 1902
    Died in Boston, Massachusetts
    Age 68.
  4. Resting place
    Cedar Grove Cemetery
    Dorchester, Massachusetts

Biography

James W. Verney (January 17, 1834 – November 29, 1902) 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 during the Wilmington Campaign. Born on January 17, 1834, in Bath, Maine, Verney was living in Portland, Maine, when he joined the Navy. He served as a chief quartermaster on the USS Pontoosuc during the Wilmington Campaign, from the First Battle of Fort Fisher on December 24, 1864, through the campaign's end on February 22, 1865. For his actions in this period, he was awarded the Medal of Honor months later, on June 22, 1865.

From the Wikipedia article “James W. Verney”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on February 22, 1865

JE John P. Erickson Captain of the Forecastle · Navy Civil War · 1865

Same unit

JA John Angling Cabin Boy · Navy Civil War · 1864 AB Asa Betham Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 RB Robert M. Blair Boatswain's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1864 GM George Washington McWilliams Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 AW Anthony Williams Sailmaker's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1864

More Civil War recipients from Maine

OT Othniel Tripp Chief Boatswain's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1865 RS Richard Henry Seward Paymaster's Steward · Navy Civil War · 1863 AH Asbury F. Haynes Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 OR Otis O. Roberts Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 Walter Goodale Morrill Captain · Army Civil War · 1863 GL George H. Littlefield Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865
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.