Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Quartermaster John E. Jones received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864 at Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Oneida. Jones was about 30 years old.
97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Jones was born in 1834 in New York. Jones died on June 19, 1865, at the age of about 31. He is buried at Chalmette National Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jones 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
Served as quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Oneida in the engagement at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Stationed at the wheel during the fierce action, Jones, though wounded, carried out his duties gallantly by going to the poop to assist at the signals after the wheel ropes were shot away and remained there until ordered to reeve new wheel ropes.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Stationed at the wheel during the fierce action, Jones, though wounded, carried out his duties gallantly by going to the poop to assist at the signals after the wheel ropes were shot away and remained there until ordered to reeve new wheel ropes.
- Age at death: about 31
- Resting place: Chalmette National Cemetery
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
- 1834Born in New York
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge about 30. U.S.S. Oneida
- June 19, 1865DiedAge about 31.
- Resting placeChalmette National CemeteryNew Orleans, Louisiana
Biography
John E. Jones (born 1834, 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 1834 in New York City, Jones was still living in the state of New York when he joined the Navy. He served in the Civil War as a quartermaster on the USS Oneida. Stationed at the ship's wheel during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, the wheel was rendered useless when the ropes which connected it to the tiller were destroyed by hostile fire. Although wounded, Jones helped send and receive signals before installing new wheel ropes.
From the Wikipedia article “John E. Jones (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
