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Quartermaster · U.S. Navy

John Cooper

Quartermaster John Cooper, Navy, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 26, 1865 in Mobile, Alabama (Interim 1865–1870).

Interim 1865 - 1870 April 26, 1865Double recipientBorn in Ireland

Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Quartermaster John Cooper received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 26, 1865 in Mobile, Alabama — a peacetime act of courage recognized in the Interim 1865 - 1870 period. At the time he was serving with on Acting Rear Adm. Thatcher's staff, U.S.S. Stockdale. Cooper was 36 years old.

Cooper is one of the few people to receive the Medal of Honor twice; see his other award (August 5, 1864).

Cooper was born on July 24, 1828 in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York, New York. Cooper died on August 22, 1891, at the age of 63. He is buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Records also list him as Mather, John Laver.

★ Rescue & Lifesaving

Official Medal of Honor citation

Second Award: Served as quartermaster on Acting Rear Adm. Thatcher's staff. During the terrific fire at Mobile, on 26 April 1865, at the risk of being blown to pieces by exploding shells, Cooper advanced through the burning locality, rescued a wounded man from certain death, and bore him on his back to a place of safety.

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

Battles and campaigns

1864 · Civil War

Battle of Mobile Bay

Result: Union victory; Mobile Bay occupied by Union.; Fall of Fort Morgan to Union Forces in August 23, 1864

3 Medal of Honor recipients

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Dublin — map
  • Buried: Cypress Hills National Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

From the archives

John L. Cooper's birth name was John Laver Mather. He changed his last name to "Cooper" when he enlisted.

Timeline

  1. July 24, 1828
    Born in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
  2. April 26, 1865
    Act of valor — Mobile, Alabama
    Age 36. on Acting Rear Adm. Thatcher's staff, U.S.S. Stockdale
  3. August 22, 1891
    Died
    Age 63.
  4. Resting place
    Cypress Hills National Cemetery
    Brooklyn, New York

Biography

John Cooper (July 24, 1828 – August 22, 1891) (born as John Laver Mather Cooper) was a member of the United States Navy. He is one of only nineteen people who have received the Medal of Honor twice and one of only fourteen to receive the Medal of Honor for two distinct events. His first such award came about because of his actions aboard the USS Brooklyn (1858) during the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. The second award was a result of an accidental fire in which Cooper advanced through the burning area in order to rescue a wounded man from certain death on April 26, 1865. He was buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Section 2, Grave 5022, in Brooklyn, New York.

From the Wikipedia article “John Laver Mather Cooper”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Second Medal of Honor

JC John Cooper Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864

More Interim 1865–1870 recipients from New York

Frederick William Gerber Sergeant Major · Army Interim 1865–1870 RB Richard Bates Seaman · Navy Interim 1865–1870 · 1866 JC James Carey Seaman · Navy Interim 1865–1870 · 1867 TR Thomas Robinson Captain of the Afterguard · Navy Interim 1865–1870 · 1866 TB Thomas Burke Seaman · Navy Interim 1865–1870 · 1866
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.