Andrew J. Tomlin

Andrew Jackson Tomlin, recorded in military citations as Andrew J. Tomlin, was a United States Marine whose courage during the American Civil War earned him the Medal of Honor. A native of Goshen in Cape May County, New Jersey, he served with the Marine guard aboard USS Wabash and distinguished himself during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in North Carolina. His highest recorded military rank was sergeant, although he was a corporal when he performed the action for which he received the decoration.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society records his birth as March 15, 1845. The older published military citation gives his birth year as 1844, leaving a discrepancy in the surviving accounts. His connection to Goshen and New Jersey is consistently recorded.

Tomlin’s defining military action took place on January 15, 1865, during the assault on Fort Fisher. As corporal of the guard aboard Wabash, he belonged to the Marine contingent involved in the operation. His shipboard assignment placed him within a naval expedition, while his service branch remained the United States Marine Corps.

According to his Medal of Honor citation, Tomlin was among approximately 200 Marines assembled to defend a line of entrenchments behind the fort. The situation had become dangerous after a large portion of the assaulting ground force retreated, leaving the position threatened by an enemy attack. Tomlin took his place in the defensive line and remained until relief troops arrived from the fort the following morning.

During the fighting, an enemy bullet struck one of his comrades. Tomlin left the protection of his position and advanced into exposed ground near the fort under heavy musket fire. He reached the wounded man and helped bring him to safety. His citation recognizes both his steadfastness in holding the position and his willingness to face enemy fire to rescue another Marine.

Tomlin’s Medal of Honor was announced in General Order No. 59, dated June 22, 1865. That is the documented award-order date; it should not be confused with January 15, the date of his battlefield action. The sources reviewed do not establish a separate date or location for a personal presentation ceremony.

As a Marine, Tomlin received the Navy design of the Medal of Honor. The Marine Corps uses that design rather than a separate Marine Corps medal. His verified award record contains one Medal of Honor, with no additional award device or clasp established. Other campaign or service medals cannot be added to his personal record solely because he served during the Civil War.

His recorded advancement to sergeant is distinct from the corporal rank preserved in his citation. Sergeant represents his highest documented rank, while corporal identifies his position during the Fort Fisher action. The available evidence does not establish the date of that promotion or a complete sequence of his military assignments.

After his military service, Tomlin continued in public life in New Jersey, serving as sheriff of Cape May County. His later work in law enforcement forms another documented chapter in a life associated with service to both country and community.

Tomlin was buried in Goshen Methodist Cemetery in his home community. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society records his death as November 1, 1905, although other published accounts give November 1, 1906. That disagreement remains unresolved in the records reviewed.

His Medal of Honor is listed by the Society as being held at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia. It preserves the memory of a specific act of courage at Fort Fisher: a Marine leaving a defended position, crossing ground exposed to enemy fire, and helping a wounded comrade reach safety.