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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Marine Corps

Michael Hudson

Sergeant Michael Hudson, Marine Corps, received the Medal of Honor for actions on August 5, 1864 at Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War August 5, 1864Born in Ireland

Serving as a Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps, Sergeant Michael Hudson 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. Brooklyn. Hudson was about 30 years old.

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

Hudson was born in 1834 in County Sligo, Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York. Hudson died on December 28, 1891, at the age of about 57. He is buried at Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte, Michigan.

Hudson 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. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee, in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked the decks, Sgt. Hudson fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious two-hour battle, which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Ireland — map
  • Buried: Maple Hill Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. 1834
    Born in County Sligo, Ireland
  2. August 5, 1864
    Act of valor — Mobile Bay, Alabama
    Age about 30. U.S.S. Brooklyn
  3. December 28, 1891
    Died
    Age about 57.
  4. Resting place
    Maple Hill Cemetery
    Charlotte, Michigan

Biography

Michael Hudson (c. 1834 – December 28, 1891) was a sergeant serving in the United States Marine Corps during the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

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

Also honored for actions on August 5, 1864

TA Thomas E. Atkinson Yeoman · Navy Civil War · 1864 JA James Avery Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 CB Charles Baker Quarter Gunner · Navy Civil War · 1864 WB William Blagheen Ship's Cook · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John Brazell Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John Brown Captain of the Forecastle · Navy Civil War · 1864 RB Robert Brown Captain of the Top · Navy Civil War · 1864 WB William H. Brown Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 WB Wilson Brown Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 JB John M. Burns Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 WC William M. Carr Master-at-Arms · Navy Civil War · 1864 MC Michael Cassidy Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864

See all 98 recipients for August 5, 1864 →

Same unit

JB James Buck Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1862 HM Harry Lewis MacNeal Private · Marine Corps Spanish-American War · 1898

More Civil War recipients from New York

GM George McKee Color Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 HS Harlan J. Swift Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 Edgar Pierpont Putnam Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 TD Thomas Davis Private · Army Civil War · 1865 Philip Goettel Private · Army Civil War · 1863 Theodore Schwan First Lieutenant · Army 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.