John Griffiths (Medal of Honor)

John Griffiths (1835 – unknown) was a sailor in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.

John Griffiths
Born1835
Wales
DiedMassachusetts
Place of burial
Sailors Home Cemetery, Wollaston, Massachusetts
AllegianceUnited States of America
Union
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Union Navy
Years of service1864 - 1865
RankCaptain of the Forecastle
Unit USS Santiago de Cuba
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
 • Second Battle of Fort Fisher
AwardsMedal of Honor

Military service

Emigrating from his native Wales, Griffiths volunteered for service in the Union Army in 1864 as a private in the 30th Massachusetts Infantry. Within 30 days of his army enlistment, Griffiths transferred to the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the Union brig USS Santiago de Cuba (1861). His enlistment is credited to the state of Massachusetts.

On January 15, 1865, the North Carolina Confederate stronghold of Fort Fisher was taken by a combined Union storming party of sailors, marines, and soldiers under the command of Admiral David Dixon Porter and General Alfred Terry. Griffiths was a member of the storming party.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain of the Forecastle John Griffiths, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving on board the U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba during the assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, on 15 January 1865. As one of a boat crew detailed to one of the generals on shore, Captain of the Forecastle Griffiths bravely entered the fort in the assault and accompanied his party in carrying dispatches at the height of the battle. He was one of six men who entered the fort in the assault from the fleet.

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 59 (June 22, 1865)

Action Date: January 15, 1865

Service: Navy

Rank: Captain of the Forecastle

Division: U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba

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See also

References
  • "John Griffiths". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  • "John Griffiths". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
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