Seaman John M. Burns, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry 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. Burns was about 29 years old.
97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Burns was born in 1835 in Hudson, Columbia County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York.
Burns 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
On board the U.S.S. Lackawanna during the successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, on 5 August 1864. Although severely wounded and sent below under the surgeon's charge, Burns promptly returned to his station and assisted the powder division throughout the prolonged action which resulted in the capture of the rebel 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 severely wounded and sent below under the surgeon's charge, Burns promptly returned to his station and assisted the powder division throughout the prolonged action which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of Fort Morgan.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
- Born: Hudson — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- 1835Born in Hudson, Columbia County, New York
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge about 29. U.S.S. Lackawanna
Biography
John M. Burns (1835 – September 9, 1864) 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.
From the Wikipedia article “John M. Burns (sailor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
