Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, First Class Fireman John Rountry received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 21, 1864 off Port Royal, South Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Montauk. Rountry was about 21 years old.
2 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Rountry was born in 1843 in Massachusetts. His Medal of Honor is credited to Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Rountry died on October 3, 1901 in New York, New York, at the age of about 58. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Records also list him as Roundtree, John.
Rountry is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 265 credited to Massachusetts.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Served as first class fireman on board the U.S.S. Montauk, 21 September 1864. During the night of 21 September, when fire was discovered in the magazine lightroom of that vessel, causing a panic and demoralizing the crew, Rountry, notwithstanding the cry of "fire in the magazine," forced his way with hose in hand, through the frightened crowd to the lightroom, and put out the flames.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Places
- Buried: Holy Cross Cemetery — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Massachusetts →
Timeline
- 1843Born in Massachusetts
- September 21, 1864Act of valor — off Port Royal, South CarolinaAge about 21. U.S.S. Montauk
- October 3, 1901Died in New York, New YorkAge about 58.
- Resting placeHoly Cross CemeteryBrooklyn, New York
Biography
John Rountry (1843 - 3 October 1901) was a first class fireman of the United States Navy who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor for gallantry during the American Civil War. Rountry was awarded the medal on 22 June 1865 for actions performed near Port Royal, South Carolina on 21 September 1864.
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