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Quartermaster · U.S. Navy

Thomas H. Cripps

Quartermaster Thomas H. Cripps, Navy, 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, 1864

Quartermaster Thomas H. Cripps, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on August 5, 1864 at Mobile Bay, Alabama during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Richmond. Cripps was 23 years old.

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

Cripps was born on November 29, 1840 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Pennsylvania. Cripps died on December 4, 1906 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 66. He is buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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

Official Medal of Honor citation

As captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Richmond during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Cripps fought his gun with skill and courage throughout a furious two-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Philadelphia — map
  • Died: Philadelphia — map
  • Buried: The Woodlands — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. November 29, 1840
    Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
  2. August 5, 1864
    Act of valor — Mobile Bay, Alabama
    Age 23. U.S.S. Richmond
  3. December 4, 1906
    Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Age 66.
  4. Resting place
    Woodlands Cemetery
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Biography

Thomas H. Cripps (November 29, 1840 – December 4, 1906) was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor during the American Civil War. While serving in the Union Navy as a quartermaster aboard the USS Richmond, he operated one of that's ship's guns under heavy enemy fire for two hours during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama on August 5, 1864, helping to damage the CSS Tennessee and destroy artillery batteries of the Confederate States Army at Fort Morgan, even as the enemy's shell and shot damaged his ship and killed several of his fellow crewmen. For those actions, he was awarded his nation's highest honor for bravery on December 31, 1864.

From the Wikipedia article “Thomas Cripps”, 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

JH John S. Hickman Second Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863 MM Matthew McClelland First Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863 TM Thomas Mitchell Landsman · Navy Interim 1871–1899 · 1879 JR John Rush First Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863 Joseph E. Vantine First Class Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1863

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

CB Charles Breyer Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 SJ Samuel Johnson Private · Army Civil War · 1862 SR Stephen Rought Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 RH Richard Hamilton Coal Heaver · Navy Civil War · 1864 JW Joseph White Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 AM Alexander H. Mitchell 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.