John Freeman Mackie

He Took Over the Guns as His Ship Was Torn Apart

John Freeman Mackie was born on October 1, 1835, in New York City. He later entered the United States Marine Corps and served during the American Civil War as part of the Marine Guard aboard USS Galena. His defining moment came on May 15, 1862, during the Union Navy’s attack on Confederate defenses at Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia, where his conduct under devastating fire earned him the Medal of Honor.

By the spring of 1862, Union forces were advancing toward Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign. Naval commanders hoped that warships moving up the James River could threaten the Confederate capital from the water. USS Galena, an experimental ironclad, formed part of the force sent upriver toward the defenses guarding Richmond.

Those defenses were concentrated at Drewry’s Bluff, also known as Fort Darling.

Confederate artillery occupied commanding ground high above the James River, creating an extremely difficult position for attacking ships. On May 15, Galena and other Union vessels engaged the batteries in an attempt to force their way past the bluff.

Mackie was serving aboard Galena as a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps.

As the battle developed, Confederate artillery fire struck the ship repeatedly. Galena became a major target, and the punishment inflicted on her crew was severe. Shells and shot damaged the vessel and caused heavy casualties among the sailors working the guns.

Mackie initially used his musket against Confederate riflemen and positions ashore.

As casualties increased among Galena’s gun crews, however, the situation changed.

Men were killed or wounded at the ship’s artillery pieces, leaving gaps in the crews needed to keep the guns operating. Mackie responded by moving from his original Marine duties to the naval guns.

He helped take the place of fallen sailors and continued the fight.

The decision placed him in some of the most dangerous areas aboard the ship. Gun crews were exposed to repeated enemy fire, and the confined spaces around the weapons became increasingly hazardous as Confederate projectiles struck the vessel.

Mackie remained at the guns.

His willingness to take over duties outside his normal assignment helped Galena continue firing during the engagement. The battle was violent and prolonged, and the Union ships ultimately could not overcome the elevated Confederate defenses.

The naval force withdrew without reaching Richmond.

Although the attack failed strategically, Mackie’s conduct aboard Galena stood out.

He had continued fighting with his musket, moved to the ship’s guns when casualties created urgent need, and remained effective while the vessel was being heavily damaged by enemy fire.

His actions became one of the earliest and most significant examples of Marine Corps valor recognized with the Medal of Honor.

At the time of the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, Mackie held the rank of Corporal.

His service continued after the engagement. Later in 1862, he was promoted to Orderly Sergeant, the highest verified rank of his Marine Corps service.

The distinction between those ranks is important.

His Medal of Honor action belonged specifically to his service as a Corporal aboard USS Galena. His later promotion reflected continued responsibility after the battle.

Recognition for his courage followed during the war.

John Freeman Mackie was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1863 for his conduct at Drewry’s Bluff on May 15, 1862.

The award placed him among the earliest Marines associated with the decoration. His story is particularly notable because his valor occurred aboard a naval vessel during direct combat, reflecting the close relationship between Marine detachments and the ships on which they served.

Mackie’s role at Drewry’s Bluff also illustrates how quickly responsibilities could change during naval combat.

A Marine aboard ship might begin an engagement firing a rifle against enemy positions and, within minutes, find himself helping operate heavy naval artillery because casualties had reduced the gun crews.

That was the situation Mackie faced.

Rather than remaining within the limits of his original duty, he moved where he was most needed.

The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff became an important lesson for Union commanders. It demonstrated the difficulty of forcing heavily fortified river positions using warships alone and helped end hopes that Richmond could simply be reached by sailing directly up the James River.

For Mackie, however, the battle was remembered at the level of individual courage.

He had served aboard a ship taking repeated hits, watched gun crews suffer severe losses, and then stepped into those positions to help continue the fight.

His Medal of Honor preserved the significance of that decision.

After the Civil War, Mackie returned to civilian life. He lived for several decades after the conflict and remained part of the generation of veterans whose experiences helped shape the historical memory of the war.

A surviving historical photograph shows him later in life wearing his Medal of Honor, providing a direct visual connection to the Marine who had fought aboard Galena in 1862.

John Freeman Mackie died on June 18, 1910.

His military legacy remains centered on the James River and the battle at Drewry’s Bluff.

As Confederate artillery tore into USS Galena, Corporal Mackie continued fighting, first with his musket and then at the ship’s guns after casualties weakened the crews around him.

He moved toward the most dangerous work aboard the ship when men were needed there most.

For that courage under fire, he received the Medal of Honor and secured a permanent place in the history of the United States Marine Corps.