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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Second Class Fireman · U.S. Navy

John S. Hickman

Second Class Fireman John S. Hickman, Navy, received the Medal of Honor for actions on March 14, 1863 in Port Hudson, Louisiana during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War March 14, 1863

Second Class Fireman John S. Hickman, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on March 14, 1863 in Port Hudson, Louisiana during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Richmond. Hickman was 26 years old.

6 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.

Hickman was born on March 2, 1837 in Blair County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Pennsylvania. Hickman died on December 24, 1904, at the age of 67. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Hickman is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

★ Fire & Explosions at Sea

Official Medal of Honor citation

Served on board the U.S.S. Richmond in the attack on Port Hudson, 14 March 1863. Damaged by a 6-inch solid rifle shot which shattered the starboard safety-valve chamber and also damaged the port safety valve, the fireroom of the U.S.S. Richmond immediately became filled with steam to place it in an extremely critical condition. Acting courageously in this crisis, Hickman persisted in penetrating the steam-filled room in order to haul the hot fires of the furnaces and continued this action until the gravity of the situation had been lessened.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Blair County — map
  • Died: Altoona — map
  • Buried: Calvary Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. March 2, 1837
    Born in Blair County, Pennsylvania
  2. March 14, 1863
    Act of valor — Port Hudson, Louisiana
    Age 26. U.S.S. Richmond
  3. December 24, 1904
    Died
    Age 67.
  4. Resting place
    Calvary Cemetery
    Altoona, Pennsylvania

Biography

John Pierce Hickman (March 2, 1836 – December 24, 1904) was a Second Class Fireman in the Union Navy during the American Civil War, in which he earned the Medal of Honor for service aboard the USS Richmond. Hickman was born in Blair County, Pennsylvania, and lived in that county for his entire life.

From the Wikipedia article “John Hickman (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on March 14, 1863

AB Andrew Brinn Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1863 PH Peter Howard Boatswain's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1863 MM Matthew McClelland First Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863 JR John Rush First Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863 Joseph E. Vantine First Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863 PV Pinkerton Ross Vaughn Sergeant · Marine Corps Civil War · 1863

Same unit

TA Thomas E. Atkinson Yeoman · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John Brazell Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 RB Robert Brown Captain of the Top · Navy Civil War · 1864 WC William M. Carr Master-at-Arms · Navy Civil War · 1864 JC James B. Chandler Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 TC Thomas H. Cripps Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 Cornelius Cronin Chief Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 CD Charles Deakin Boatswain's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1864

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

JP Josiah Phillips Private · Army Civil War · 1865 Thomas R. Kerr Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 AW Albert D. Wright Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 HH Henry Hill Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 HB Hugh Patterson Boon Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 AC Alexander Crawford Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1864
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.