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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Corporal · U.S. Marine Corps

John Freeman Mackie

Corporal John Freeman Mackie, Marine Corps, received the Medal of Honor for actions on May 15, 1862 at Fort Darling at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War May 15, 1862

Corporal John Freeman Mackie, a Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 15, 1862 at Fort Darling at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Galena. Mackie was 26 years old.

3 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. He later rose to the rank of Orderly Sergeant.

Mackie was born on October 1, 1835 in New York, New York. Mackie died on June 18, 1910, at the age of 74. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

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

★ Gave Their Lives

Official Medal of Honor citation

On board the U.S.S. Galena in the attack on Fort Darling, at Drewry's Bluff, James River, on 15 May 1862. As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Cpl. Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits along the shore and, when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: New York City — map
  • Buried: Arlington Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. October 1, 1835
    Born in New York, New York
  2. May 15, 1862
    Act of valor — Fort Darling at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia
    Age 26. U.S.S. Galena
  3. June 18, 1910
    Died
    Age 74.
  4. Resting place
    Arlington Cemetery
    Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Biography

John Freeman Mackie (October 1, 1835 – June 18, 1910) was a United States Marine Corps sergeant during the American Civil War. He was awarded the nation's highest military decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor, for his actions aboard the USS Galena during the battle with Confederate Marines and artillery batteries at Fort Darling near Richmond, Virginia, on May 15, 1862. He is one of the first two Marines to be awarded the Medal of Honor, and is considered to be the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in the history of the Marine Corps.

From the Wikipedia article “John F. Mackie”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on May 15, 1862

CK Charles W. Kenyon Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1862 John Snyders Kenyon Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 JR Jeremiah Regan Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1862

Same unit

William Gardner Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 TJ Thomas H. Jordan Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 EM Edward S. Martin Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 EY Edward B. Young Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864

More Civil War recipients from New York

JB John Breen Boatswain's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1862 WB William P. Brownell Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1863 William P. Hogarty Private · Army Civil War · 1862 AT Allen Thompson Private · Army Civil War · 1865 RB Robert Brown Captain of the Top · Navy Civil War · 1864 GT George W. Thompkins 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.