Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Landsman Samuel W. Kinnaird 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. Lackawanna. Kinnaird was 24 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 Ordinary Seaman.
Kinnaird was born on May 2, 1840 in New York, New York. Kinnaird died on April 20, 1923 in South Berne, New York, at the age of 82. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, New York.
Kinnaird 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
Served as a landsman on board the U.S.S. Lackawanna during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats, and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Showing a presence of mind and cheerfulness that had much to do with maintaining the crew's morale, Kinnaird served gallantly through the action which resulted in the capture of the prize rebel ram Tennessee and in the destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- May 2, 1840Born in New York, New York
- August 5, 1864Act of valor — Mobile Bay, AlabamaAge 24. U.S.S. Lackawanna
- April 20, 1923Died in South Berne, New YorkAge 82.
- Resting placeCalvary CemeteryWoodside, New York
Biography
Samuel W. Kinnaird (May 2, 1840 – April 20, 1923) 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.
From the Wikipedia article “Samuel W. Kinnaird”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
