John Henry Lawson

Wounded by a Shell, He Refused to Leave His Post

John Henry Lawson was born on June 16, 1837, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A free Black American, he grew up in a city with deep maritime and military connections. When the American Civil War transformed the United States and dramatically expanded the Union Navy, Lawson became one of thousands of African American sailors who entered naval service during the conflict.

Lawson enlisted in the United States Navy in New York in 1863. He served with the rating of landsman, a designation commonly given to sailors who entered naval service without extensive previous seagoing experience. He was eventually assigned to USS Hartford, one of the most celebrated warships of the Union Navy and the flagship closely associated with Rear Admiral David G. Farragut.

By 1864, the Union was attempting to close Mobile Bay, Alabama, one of the Confederacy's most important remaining Gulf ports. The entrance was protected by Fort Morgan, Confederate naval forces, underwater mines then commonly called torpedoes, and the powerful ironclad ram CSS Tennessee. Farragut assembled a fleet to force its way into the bay and defeat the defenses protecting the harbor.

On August 5, 1864, USS Hartford entered the Battle of Mobile Bay. Lawson served as part of the ship's berth-deck ammunition party, helping move ammunition from below decks to the guns that were fighting the Confederate defenses. It was dangerous and exhausting work. The effectiveness of Hartford's batteries depended upon a continuous flow of ammunition, making the sailors below decks an essential part of the ship's combat operation.

During the battle, a Confederate shell struck near the ammunition party. The explosion killed or wounded the six-man crew working around the shell whip and hurled Lawson violently against the side of the ship. He suffered a serious wound to his leg amid the destruction.

Lawson nevertheless recovered himself and returned to his station.

He was urged to go below for medical treatment, but he refused to abandon his duties while the battle continued. Despite his wound, he remained at the ammunition station and continued helping supply Hartford's guns through the remainder of the engagement. His decision placed duty above his own immediate need for treatment at a moment when the ship remained under enemy fire.

The Battle of Mobile Bay became one of the defining naval victories of the Civil War. Union forces successfully passed the Confederate defenses, fought their way into the bay, and ultimately overcame the Confederate naval resistance. Hartford's crew played a central role in the victory, and Lawson's actions represented the courage demanded of sailors working throughout the ship, not only those visible on the exposed gun decks.

For his conduct aboard USS Hartford, Lawson received the Medal of Honor. His citation emphasized that after being wounded and thrown against the ship by the enemy explosion, he promptly returned to his station and continued performing his duties despite being encouraged to seek treatment. His recognition was associated with Navy General Order No. 45 of December 31, 1864.

The Medal of Honor represented recognition of Lawson's extraordinary conduct during a specific moment of battle. His broader wartime naval service was later represented by the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal, established to commemorate qualifying naval service during the Civil War. Together, the two decorations reflect different dimensions of his record: one marked his sustained service in the Union Navy, while the Medal of Honor preserved the exceptional courage he displayed at Mobile Bay.

Lawson's service also holds wider historical importance. African American sailors had served in the United States Navy long before the Civil War, but the conflict greatly expanded their participation. Thousands served aboard Union vessels in blockading squadrons, river operations, coastal actions, and major fleet engagements. Lawson became one of the small number of African American sailors whose Civil War naval heroism was recognized with the Medal of Honor.

After the war, Lawson returned to civilian life in Philadelphia. He supported his family through small-scale retail work and remained connected to the community of Union veterans. He became active in the Grand Army of the Republic, the influential organization formed by veterans of the Union armed forces. His continued involvement reflected the enduring importance of his Civil War service long after he left the Navy.

Photographs from his later years preserve the image of an aging veteran who remained visibly connected to the organizations and honors associated with his wartime experience. His military distinction, however, continued to rest principally on the events of August 5, 1864, when a wounded landsman refused to leave an ammunition station aboard a ship fighting its way through Mobile Bay.

John Henry Lawson died in Philadelphia on May 3, 1919, at the age of eighty-one. He was buried at Mount Peace Cemetery in New Jersey.

His legacy is rooted in perseverance under extreme conditions. Lawson was not standing safely behind the fighting when the Confederate shell struck. He was part of the machinery that kept Hartford's guns supplied while the ship was actively engaged with enemy defenses. The explosion wounded him badly enough that others urged him to seek treatment, yet he returned to the work that still had to be done.

That decision transformed an enlisted sailor performing a demanding battlefield duty into a Medal of Honor recipient. John Henry Lawson's story remains a powerful example of naval courage: wounded amid the destruction below decks, he chose to return to his station and continued serving until the battle was over.