John Wainwright

A First Lieutenant Led the Regiment Into Fort Fisher

John Wainwright was born on July 13, 1839, in Syracuse, New York. During the American Civil War he entered the United States Army and served with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, a regiment that would campaign along the Atlantic coast and take part in one of the war’s most important late operations against Confederate defenses.

Wainwright’s military career advanced steadily. By January 1865 he held the formal rank of first lieutenant in Company F, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. Yet during the assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, circumstances placed him in a far greater position of responsibility: he assumed command of the regiment itself.

Fort Fisher guarded the entrance to the Cape Fear River and protected access to Wilmington, North Carolina, the Confederacy’s most important remaining Atlantic port. As other major Southern ports fell to Union forces, Wilmington became increasingly critical for blockade-running vessels bringing military supplies into the Confederacy.

The fort was a massive earthwork designed to withstand naval bombardment. Union forces had already attempted to capture it in December 1864 without success. A second, much stronger expedition returned in January 1865 under combined Army and Navy command.

For days, Union warships bombarded Fort Fisher, attempting to weaken its defenses before the ground assault. On January 15, 1865, Federal infantry moved forward against the Confederate works while naval forces continued supporting the attack.

The 97th Pennsylvania Infantry took part in the assault under extremely heavy fire. Wainwright, though only a first lieutenant by formal rank, commanded the regiment during the attack.

This distinction is central to understanding his Medal of Honor action. He was not merely carrying out the duties normally expected of a junior company officer. In the confusion and danger of the assault, he bore responsibility for directing an entire regiment against one of the strongest Confederate coastal defenses still in operation.

The advance exposed the attacking troops to intense musketry and artillery fire, including grape and canister from the fortifications. The fighting became close and violent as Union soldiers forced their way into the defensive works.

Wainwright remained in command throughout the struggle. His leadership during the attack was later officially recognized as “gallant and meritorious conduct” while, as a first lieutenant, he commanded the regiment.

The battle continued for hours inside and around the fort’s defenses. Union troops gradually captured successive positions and overwhelmed Confederate resistance. By the end of January 15, Fort Fisher had fallen.

Its capture had consequences far beyond the immediate battlefield. With Fort Fisher in Union hands, access to Wilmington from the Atlantic was effectively closed. The fall of the fort eliminated the Confederacy’s last major coastal gateway for blockade-running trade and helped make the eventual capture of Wilmington possible.

Wainwright continued his military service after Fort Fisher. His wartime career eventually carried him to the rank of colonel, the highest verified military rank of his service. The distinction between his later rank and his rank during the Medal of Honor action remains important: at Fort Fisher he was a first lieutenant who had assumed regimental command, while later records identify him as Colonel John Wainwright.

Recognition for his conduct came years after the Civil War had ended. On June 24, 1890, John Wainwright was presented with the Medal of Honor.

The award honored his leadership on January 15, 1865, during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. His citation focused specifically on the unusual responsibility he carried in combat: while still a first lieutenant, he commanded the regiment and distinguished himself through gallant and meritorious conduct.

The Medal of Honor awarded to Wainwright survived beyond his lifetime and became part of the historical record preserved by the National Archives. It remains physical evidence of the recognition eventually granted for his leadership during one of the final major coastal battles of the Civil War.

After the conflict, Wainwright returned to civilian life and lived for another half century. The surviving record is strongest concerning his military career and the action at Fort Fisher, but his longevity allowed him to witness the transformation of the United States long after the war in which he had served.

John Wainwright died on April 15, 1915, in Wilmington, Delaware. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

His military legacy rests on an extraordinary command responsibility assumed at a critical moment. On January 15, 1865, as Union soldiers attacked Fort Fisher under heavy Confederate fire, Wainwright entered the battle as a first lieutenant but led the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry as its acting regimental commander. For his gallant leadership in that assault, John Wainwright received the Medal of Honor.