John W. Lloyd

He Swam the River With a Torpedo Line Under Fire

John W. Lloyd was born in 1831 in New York City. During the American Civil War, he entered service in the United States Navy and became a coxswain aboard USS Wyalusing, a Union gunboat operating in the dangerous waterways of North Carolina.

By the spring of 1864, one of the most serious threats to Union naval operations in the region was the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle. The powerful vessel had demonstrated its ability to challenge Union ships and disrupt control of the rivers, making its destruction an urgent objective.

A daring plan was developed to attack the ironclad using explosive torpedoes. The operation required sailors to move secretly through enemy-controlled waters, cross the Roanoke River, and position a heavy line that would allow the explosives to be drawn into place near the Confederate vessel.

Lloyd volunteered for the hazardous mission.

On May 25, 1864, he and fellow sailor Charles Baldwin entered the Roanoke River and swam across while carrying the equipment needed for the attack. Lloyd was responsible for handling a heavy line intended to guide the torpedoes toward CSS Albemarle.

The mission demanded both physical endurance and complete secrecy. The men were operating close to Confederate positions, where discovery could mean immediate capture or death. As the operation developed, enemy sentries detected their presence and opened fire.

With the plan exposed, Lloyd acted quickly. Rather than allow the torpedo line and equipment to fall into Confederate hands, he cut the guiding line and abandoned the immediate attempt. He then returned through the river under the threat of enemy fire and managed to regain safety.

Although the attack did not destroy CSS Albemarle that night, Lloyd's conduct demonstrated exceptional courage. He had willingly entered hostile territory, crossed a river carrying the equipment for a covert explosive attack, and remained composed enough under fire to prevent valuable matériel from being captured.

His bravery was formally recognized later that year. Under General Order No. 45, dated December 31, 1864, John W. Lloyd was awarded the Medal of Honor for his conduct during the operation against CSS Albemarle.

Lloyd's later life is not well documented, and no securely verified record of his death or burial has been established. What remains clear is the extraordinary nature of the mission for which he was honored.

John W. Lloyd's Medal of Honor story was defined by a dangerous nighttime operation rather than a conventional battle line. He entered the river carrying a torpedo line, moved toward one of the Confederacy's most feared ironclads, and faced enemy fire at close range. His willingness to accept that risk secured his place among the recognized heroes of the United States Navy.