Duty Above and Beyond

While Confederate artillery repeatedly struck the USS Galena at Fort Darling, three crewmen performed conspicuous acts of gallantry that earned the Medal of Honor. After an artillery shell passed through the Galena and killed or disabled most of the crew serving her 100-pounder Parrot rifle, Corporal John Mackie rallied his comrades, helped clear the debris, removed the injured, and resumed firing the cannon until the Galena withdrew, becoming the first U.S. Marine to receive the Medal of Honor. Charles Kenyon, a 22-year-old sailor from New York, was severely burned while clearing a bent priming wire from the bow gun, then returned to continue the fight despite his injuries and Confederate sharpshooters sweeping the exposed decks. Jeremiah Regan, a 30-year-old quartermaster from Boston and captain of the Number 2 gun, also held firm under heavy shelling and sharpshooting; Kenyon and Regan were among the first members of the U.S. Navy to receive the Medal of Honor.

Virginia · United States