Captain of the Top Robert Brown was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864 at Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Richmond. Brown was about 34 years old.
97 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Brown was born in 1830 in Norway — one of 22 recipients born in Norway. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York. His medal is held by Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC.
Brown 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. Richmond in action at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Cool and courageous at his stationthroughout the prolonged action, Brown rended gallant service as his vessel trained her guns on Fort Morgan and on ships of the Confederacy despite extremely heavy return fire. He participated in the actions at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, with the Chalmette batteries, at the surrender of New Orleans and in the attacks on batteries below Vicksburg.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
- Born: Norway — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- 1830Born in Norway
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge about 34. U.S.S. Richmond
Biography
Robert Brown (born c. 1830) 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. Born in about 1830 in Norway, Brown immigrated to the United States and was living in New York when he joined the U.S. Navy. He served during the Civil War as a captain of the top on the USS Richmond. At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, he was "[c]ool and courageous" despite heavy fire. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later on December 31, 1864. Brown's official Medal of Honor citation reads: On board the U.S.S.
From the Wikipedia article “Robert Brown (sailor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
