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Quarter Gunner · U.S. Navy

James Ward

Quarter Gunner James Ward, Navy, received the Medal of Honor for actions on August 5, 1864 at Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War August 5, 1864

Quarter Gunner James Ward 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. Ward was about 31 years old.

97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. He later rose to the rank of Captain of the Forecastle.

Ward was born in 1833 in New York, New York.

Ward is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.

★ Wounded but Fought On

Official Medal of Honor citation

Served as gunner 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. Although wounded and ordered below, Ward refused to go, but rendered aid at one of the guns when the crew was disabled. He subsequently remained in the chains, heaving the lead, until nearly caught in the collision with the ram Tennessee. He continued to serve bravely throughout the 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.

Wounds and injuries

What the citation records about his wounds:

Although wounded and ordered below, Ward refused to go, but rendered aid at one of the guns when the crew was disabled.

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: New York City — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. 1833
    Born in New York, New York
  2. August 5, 1864
    Act of valor — Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, Alabama
    Age about 31. U.S.S. Lackawanna

Biography

James Ward (born c. 1833, 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 1833 in New York City, Ward was still living in the state of New York when he joined the Navy. He served during the Civil War as a quarter gunner on the USS Lackawanna. At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, he was wounded as his ship engaged the CSS Tennessee at close range.

From the Wikipedia article “James Ward (Medal of Honor, 1864)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on August 5, 1864

TA Thomas E. Atkinson Yeoman · Navy Civil War · 1864 JA James Avery Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 CB Charles Baker Quarter Gunner · Navy Civil War · 1864 WB William Blagheen Ship's Cook · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John Brazell Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John Brown Captain of the Forecastle · Navy Civil War · 1864 RB Robert Brown Captain of the Top · Navy Civil War · 1864 WB William H. Brown Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 WB Wilson Brown Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John M. Burns Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 WC William M. Carr Master-at-Arms · Navy Civil War · 1864 MC Michael Cassidy Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864

See all 98 recipients for August 5, 1864 →

Same unit

IF Isaac L. Fasseur Ordinary Seaman · Navy Interim 1871–1899 · 1884 Louis Williams Seaman · Navy Interim 1871–1899 · 1883 Louis Williams Captain of the Hold · Navy Interim 1871–1899 · 1884

More Civil War recipients from New York

JN John H. Nibbe Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 George Uhrl Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 LR Louis Richards Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1862 MM Michael C. Murphy Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864 HH Harry Harvey Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 JL John W. Lloyd Coxswain · Navy 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.