Hero of the Week 9

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

John Lawson

John Lawson was born on June 16, 1837 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not much is known about his early life. He enlisted in the United States Navy during the American Civil War in December 1863. He was assigned to the ship, USS Hartford where he served as a Landsman. Despite facing racism from his own comrades he continued to perform his duties on the ship to the best of his ability. His job was to get ammunition to the Hartford's guns.

The USS Hartford was the flagship of Flag Officer (eventually Admiral) David Farragut who commanded the West Gulf Blockading Squadron during the Civil War. By late 1864, the Union Navy's Anaconda Plan had mostly worked in sealing off the Confederacy's ports. One of the few remaining ports was Mobile Bay (which was also the last open port in the Gulf of Mexico). Mobile Bay's capture would be a major step forward in defeating the Confederacy. However capturing it would not be an easy task. The bay was defended by a powerful ironclad (CSS Tennessee) and fort (Fort Morgan). The bay was also heavily mined with torpedoes. Despite having 18 ships at his command (including four ironclads), Farragut knew that capturing Mobile Bay would cost many lives. Never the less, it needed to be done.

On August 5, 1864, Farragut's fleet began its attack on Mobile Bay with USS Hartford leading the charge. The first objective the ships faced was passing Fort Morgan. They would then have to navigate the torpedo field without striking one, then they would have to face-off against the CSS Tennessee. For the next three hours the Federal ships struggled to pass Fort Morgan and make their way through the torpedo field. The ships were large and the dangerous torpedo field forced them to cut their speed. This made them easy targets for the gunners of Fort Morgan who continuously raked the ships with deadly accuracy. The ships that made it through the torpedo field (at least one, USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo and went down with nearly all hands) had to face the nearly impregnable ironclad CSS Tennessee. The Tennessee put up a deadly fight against the wooden Federal ships. Her armor caused the cannon balls of her adversaries to literally bounce off. And any ship that rammed the Tennessee ended up doing more damage to itself. It was only when the ironclad's smokestack and rudder were shot away (and a number of her guns knocked out) that her crew finally struck her colors and surrendered. The garrison of Fort Morgan surrendered not long after. Despite the carnage, the battle had lasted just over three hours.

Early in the engagement John Lawson, was severely wounded by shell fragments and splinters. Despite his severe wounds, he remained at his post and continued to deliver ammunition to the rest of Hartford's guns (he even fired some them by himself). He did this even after all the other men at some of the guns had been killed or incapacitated by severe wounds. Despite being urged to seek medical treatment, Lawson remained in the fight for the entire battle until the Tennessee had surrendered. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor by Admiral Farragut himself. Congress officially awarded the medal to Lawson on December 31, 1864. He was one of only 18 African-American soldiers and sailors to receive the award for valor in the Civil War (also one of the very first). After the war, Lawson received an honorable discharge and returned to Philadelphia where he lived a quiet life as a huckster until his death on May 3, 1919. He was 81 years old.

John Lawson's heroism at Mobile Bay was extraordinary. He is a great example of the dedication and courage of those who serve in our military and put their lives on the line for our country. He is a man who should definitely held in high regard.


https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=John%20Lawson%20(Medal%20of%20Honor)

http://www.dvrbs.com/CW/CamdenCountyHeroes-JohnLawson.htm