John Williams

He Stayed at His Post as Enemy Fire Swept the Deck

John Williams was born in 1832 in Pennsylvania. During the American Civil War, he served in the United States Navy as a Seaman aboard USS Commodore Perry, a converted ferryboat that operated in the rivers and coastal waters of Virginia and North Carolina.

His defining act of courage came on October 3, 1862, during an operation against Franklin, Virginia. USS Commodore Perry moved along the Blackwater River as Union forces confronted Confederate defenses positioned along the waterway.

The mission placed the vessel in a dangerous environment. Confederate batteries opened fire, and enemy shots swept across the ship’s deck. At the same time, obstructions in the river interfered with the vessel’s movement, making the ship increasingly vulnerable as it attempted to continue the operation.

Williams remained at his post.

Despite the enemy fire striking around him and the difficulties facing the ship, he continued performing his duties with skill and courage. USS Commodore Perry fought to suppress the Confederate batteries while moving along the Blackwater River, and Williams stayed at his battle station throughout the action.

His conduct was later recognized as extraordinary heroism.

The Medal of Honor had only recently been created during the Civil War, and Williams became one of the early sailors whose actions were recognized with the nation’s highest military decoration. His award was authorized under General Order No. 11, dated April 3, 1863.

Williams received the Navy Medal of Honor for remaining at his post during the attack on Franklin while enemy fire raked the deck of USS Commodore Perry and river obstructions threatened the ship’s progress.

No additional clasp, star, or device accompanied his Medal of Honor.

His broader wartime service also falls within the period later commemorated by the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal, a decoration established to recognize qualifying Navy and Marine Corps service during the conflict. His Medal of Honor, however, remained specifically connected to his courage aboard USS Commodore Perry on October 3, 1862.

River warfare during the Civil War presented dangers very different from those faced by large warships operating in open water. Vessels moving through narrow rivers could be exposed to shore batteries, rifle fire, hidden obstacles, and restricted maneuvering space. A ship that became slowed or trapped could remain under concentrated enemy fire with few options for escape.

That was the kind of environment Williams faced on the Blackwater River.

He did not abandon his station when Confederate fire swept the deck.

He continued doing the work required of him while USS Commodore Perry fought its way through the engagement and attempted to silence the enemy batteries along the river.

Much of John Williams’s later life remains poorly documented, and reliable records do not establish a verified date of death or burial location. His Civil War service, however, survives clearly in the official record of his Medal of Honor action.

He must also be distinguished from other Civil War sailors named John Williams who received the Medal of Honor. The sailor remembered here was the Seaman aboard USS Commodore Perry whose courage was recognized for the fighting near Franklin, Virginia.

On October 3, 1862, enemy fire was sweeping across his ship and obstacles were blocking its path.

John Williams stayed at his post.

For performing his duty with skill and courage while USS Commodore Perry fought the Confederate batteries along the Blackwater River, he earned the Medal of Honor and a lasting place in the history of the United States Navy.