1st Class Pilot Martin Freeman was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who 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. Hartford. Freeman was 50 years old.
97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. He later rose to the rank of Civilian.
Freeman was born on May 18, 1814 in Germany — one of 130 recipients born in Germany. His Medal of Honor is credited to Ship's Island, Jackson County, Mississippi. Freeman died on September 11, 1894 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, at the age of 80. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Pascagoula, Mississippi. His medal is held by Old Spanish Fort & Museum, Pascagoula, MS.
Freeman is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 18 credited to Mississippi.
Official Medal of Honor citation
As pilot of the flagship U.S.S. Hartford, during action against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats, the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. With his ship under a terrific enemy shellfire, Freeman calmly remained at his station in the maintop and skillfully piloted the ships into the bay. He rendered gallant service throughout the prolonged battle in which the rebel gunboats were captured or driven off, the prize ram Tennessee forced to surrender, and the fort successfully attacked.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Mississippi →
Timeline
- May 18, 1814Born in Germany
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge 50. U.S.S. Hartford
- September 11, 1894Died in Pascagoula, MississippiAge 80.
- Resting placeGreenwood CemeteryPascagoula, Mississippi
Biography
Martin Freeman (May 18, 1814 – September 11, 1894) was a civilian employee of the Union Navy during 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. He is one of only a handful of civilians to have received the medal. Born on May 18, 1814, in Germany, he made his way to France in 1833 where he embarked on the SV France at Le Havre, arriving in New York on November 6, 1833. He embarked on a career in the maritime industry in the US and was working on the Gulf Coast.
From the Wikipedia article “Martin Freeman (sailor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →