James Sheridan

Wounded at His Gun, He Refused to Leave

James Sheridan was born in Newark, New Jersey, and later entered the United States Navy, where his service during the American Civil War placed him aboard USS Oneida at one of the most dangerous naval battles of the conflict. His courage at the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, earned him the Medal of Honor.

Sheridan served as a quartermaster aboard USS Oneida. In the Civil War Navy, the quartermaster was a trusted enlisted rating associated with navigation, steering, signals, and other important shipboard duties. During battle, however, sailors could also be assigned directly to combat stations according to the needs of the ship.

At Mobile Bay, Sheridan was placed in command of Oneida’s after 11-inch gun.

The Union campaign against Mobile Bay was one of the most ambitious naval operations of the Civil War. The entrance to the bay was defended by Confederate Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, warships, underwater mines then commonly called torpedoes, and the powerful ironclad CSS Tennessee.

Rear Admiral David G. Farragut assembled a fleet of wooden warships and ironclad monitors to break through those defenses.

USS Oneida formed part of that attacking force.

On the morning of August 5, 1864, the Union fleet advanced toward the bay under heavy Confederate fire.

The danger became clear almost immediately when the monitor USS Tecumseh struck a mine and sank rapidly. Despite the loss, the remaining Union ships continued the attack.

USS Oneida pressed forward while Confederate artillery fired from the forts and enemy vessels engaged the Union fleet.

Sheridan remained at his 11-inch gun.

The work of a naval gun crew demanded speed, discipline, and coordination. Heavy weapons had to be loaded, aimed, fired, recoiled, serviced, and prepared again while enemy shells struck nearby.

Sheridan’s position became increasingly dangerous as the battle intensified.

During the engagement, he was wounded more than once.

He did not leave his gun.

Despite his injuries, Sheridan continued performing his duties as gun captain and helped keep the weapon in action.

His Medal of Honor citation later emphasized both his gallantry and his intelligence during the fight. His conduct was not limited to simply enduring enemy fire. He continued directing a major naval gun while wounded and while USS Oneida remained engaged in one of the fiercest battles of the war.

After the firing at his gun had ended, Sheridan still did not withdraw from duty.

A signal quartermaster had been wounded, creating another urgent need aboard the ship. Sheridan stepped into that position and continued serving.

His actions demonstrated both physical courage and professional discipline.

The battle around him continued.

Union ships succeeded in passing the Confederate forts and entering Mobile Bay. Inside the bay, the fleet turned its attention toward the Confederate ironclad CSS Tennessee.

Tennessee became the center of an intense close-range engagement as Union vessels attacked with gunfire and ramming attempts.

USS Oneida and the rest of Farragut’s fleet continued fighting until Confederate naval resistance was broken and CSS Tennessee was forced to surrender.

The Union victory at Mobile Bay was strategically important.

It eliminated a major Confederate naval position on the Gulf Coast and further tightened Union control over Southern ports and waterways during the final year of the Civil War.

For James Sheridan, the battle became the defining moment of his naval career.

For his conduct aboard USS Oneida on August 5, 1864, he received the Medal of Honor.

His award was recorded under General Order No. 45, dated December 31, 1864.

The Medal of Honor recognized his courage while serving as captain of the after 11-inch gun, his determination to remain at his station despite being wounded, and his continued service after taking over the duties of an injured signal quartermaster.

The decoration preserved the story of a sailor who refused to allow his wounds to remove him from the battle while his ship still needed him.

Sheridan’s Civil War service is also represented by the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal.

The Navy Civil War Campaign Medal was authorized in 1908 to recognize qualifying service by members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps during the American Civil War.

The 1908 date represents the authorization of the decoration rather than the year of Sheridan’s wartime action.

Sheridan had died before the medal was created, so it should not be understood as a personal presentation made to him during his lifetime. Instead, it represents the later historical recognition of his qualifying Union naval service during the Civil War.

The Medal of Honor and the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal therefore commemorate different parts of his military record.

The Medal of Honor recognizes his specific courage aboard USS Oneida at Mobile Bay.

The Navy Civil War Campaign Medal represents his broader qualifying service in the United States Navy during the conflict.

No devices are associated with either decoration.

Sheridan survived the Civil War and lived for nearly three decades after the battle that brought him national recognition.

He died on November 9, 1893, in Brooklyn, New York.

He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn.

His military legacy remains centered on the morning of August 5, 1864.

As Confederate guns fired into Farragut’s fleet, Sheridan stood at USS Oneida’s after 11-inch gun.

He was wounded, but he stayed.

He continued directing the weapon.

When another important position needed a sailor, he took that duty as well.

For that determination under fire, James Sheridan received the Medal of Honor.

Together with the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal recognizing his broader qualifying service, his decorations preserve the story of a Union sailor who remained in the fight even after enemy fire had wounded him—and continued serving until the battle was won.