John Edwards

Wounded at His Gun, He Refused to Leave the Fight

John Edwards was born in 1831 in Providence, Rhode Island. He later entered the United States Navy and served during the American Civil War, eventually becoming a Captain of the Top aboard USS Lackawanna. In the Navy of the period, this was an enlisted rating connected with duties aloft and general shipboard service, not a commissioned officer’s rank.

By the summer of 1864, USS Lackawanna had joined Rear Admiral David G. Farragut’s West Gulf Blockading Squadron for operations against Mobile Bay, Alabama. Mobile remained one of the Confederacy’s most important Gulf ports, protected by forts, naval mines, Confederate gunboats, and the powerful ironclad CSS Tennessee.

On August 5, 1864, Farragut’s fleet entered Mobile Bay in one of the most famous naval actions of the Civil War. Edwards served aboard Lackawanna during the intense engagement and was assigned as second captain of one of the ship’s guns.

During the fighting, an enemy shell struck near Edwards and wounded him. Despite his injury, he refused to leave his station for medical treatment. When the first captain of the gun could no longer continue in that role, Edwards took his place and assumed responsibility for keeping the weapon in action.

The battle continued under heavy fire as Union warships fought Confederate vessels and passed the defenses guarding Mobile Bay. Edwards remained at his gun throughout the prolonged engagement, continuing his duties despite the wound he had suffered.

The Union fleet ultimately defeated the Confederate naval resistance inside the bay. CSS Tennessee was surrounded and forced to surrender after a fierce fight, while the Union victory effectively closed one of the Confederacy’s last major Gulf ports to blockade-running operations.

Edwards’s refusal to abandon his post and his continued service at the gun while wounded became the defining act of his naval career. His conduct demonstrated both personal courage and dedication to his ship and gun crew at a moment when every experienced sailor was needed to maintain the effectiveness of Lackawanna’s batteries.

For his actions during the Battle of Mobile Bay, John Edwards received the Medal of Honor. His award was issued under General Order No. 45 on December 31, 1864. The decoration recognized his conduct aboard USS Lackawanna on August 5, when, although wounded by an enemy shell, he remained at his station and took over as first captain of the gun for the remainder of the engagement.

After the war, Edwards eventually returned to civilian life. He lived for several more decades after the conflict that had earned him national recognition.

John Edwards died on December 27, 1902. He was buried at Pocasset Cemetery in Cranston, Rhode Island.

His legacy is tied to the guns of USS Lackawanna at Mobile Bay. Wounded in the middle of one of the Civil War’s decisive naval battles, Edwards refused to leave his post, stepped into greater responsibility, and continued fighting until the engagement was over. That determination under fire earned him the Medal of Honor and secured his place among the sailors recognized for extraordinary courage during the American Civil War.