Thomas Jordan

He Kept the Signals Moving Under Fort Morgan’s Fire

Thomas H. Jordan was born on April 12, 1840, in Portsmouth, Virginia. He later entered the United States Navy and served during the American Civil War, eventually becoming a quartermaster aboard USS Galena. His courage during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, placed him among the sailors whose actions were later recognized with the Medal of Honor.

By 1864, Mobile Bay was one of the Confederacy’s most important remaining positions on the Gulf Coast. Its entrance was protected by Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, Confederate naval forces, underwater mines then commonly called torpedoes, and the powerful ironclad CSS Tennessee. Rear Admiral David G. Farragut assembled a major Union naval force with the objective of breaking through these defenses and establishing control of the bay.

USS Galena formed part of Farragut’s attacking fleet. For the dangerous passage past the Confederate forts, Galena was lashed alongside USS Oneida. Pairing ships in this manner allowed one vessel to help another if steering, propulsion, or other critical systems were damaged during the passage.

Jordan served aboard Galena as a quartermaster. The rating carried important responsibilities involving navigation, steering, signals, and the movement of the ship. During battle, accurate signaling was essential because orders had to be transmitted and understood while smoke, gunfire, damaged equipment, and the movement of multiple warships created confusion across the fleet.

On August 5, 1864, the Union fleet began its assault on Mobile Bay.

Confederate batteries opened fire as Farragut’s vessels approached the fortified entrance. Heavy shells struck around the advancing ships, while Union guns returned fire against the forts and enemy vessels.

The danger increased dramatically when the monitor USS Tecumseh struck a mine and sank rapidly. Despite the loss, the rest of the Union fleet continued forward.

Thomas Jordan was stationed on Galena’s poop deck attending to signals.

It was an exposed position.

As Galena and Oneida passed Fort Morgan, they came under intense Confederate fire. Jordan remained at his station while shells were directed toward the ships and the crews around him fought to keep the vessels moving through the defended channel.

During the passage, USS Oneida suffered serious damage. Enemy fire damaged her boiler and impaired her ability to maneuver effectively.

Because Galena was lashed alongside her, the two vessels were forced to function together under fire.

Galena helped bring the damaged Oneida safely beyond the Confederate defenses.

Throughout this dangerous period, Jordan continued performing his signal duties.

His conduct was later recognized for gallantry and remarkable coolness.

Signal duty could easily appear less dramatic than firing a naval gun or boarding an enemy vessel, but during a fleet action it was essential. Orders, warnings, and movements depended upon sailors maintaining communication under conditions in which hesitation or confusion could place entire ships at risk.

Jordan remained exposed on deck and continued carrying out that responsibility while Fort Morgan’s guns fired on the ships passing below.

The Union fleet succeeded in forcing its way into Mobile Bay.

Once inside, the battle continued against Confederate naval forces, particularly CSS Tennessee. Union warships attacked the ironclad with gunfire and ramming attempts until the Confederate vessel was disabled and forced to surrender.

The victory at Mobile Bay became one of the most significant Union naval successes of the Civil War. It eliminated a major Confederate naval position on the Gulf Coast and further weakened the South’s ability to use Mobile as an effective wartime port.

For Thomas Jordan, August 5, 1864, became the defining action of his naval service.

His courage aboard USS Galena was formally recognized with the Medal of Honor.

The award was recorded under Navy General Order No. 59, dated June 22, 1865.

The Medal of Honor recognized Jordan’s gallantry and coolness while performing signal duty from an exposed position during the passage of the Confederate forts at Mobile Bay.

His actions reflected an important form of battlefield courage: remaining focused on a critical duty even when the safest course would have been to seek protection.

Jordan’s broader Civil War service is also represented by the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal.

The Navy Civil War Campaign Medal was authorized in 1908 to recognize qualifying service by members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps during the American Civil War. The 1908 date represents the establishment and authorization of the decoration rather than the year of Jordan’s combat action.

The Medal of Honor and the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal therefore represent two different aspects of his military record.

The Medal of Honor commemorates his specific courage aboard USS Galena during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864.

The Navy Civil War Campaign Medal represents his broader qualifying service in the Union Navy during the conflict.

No verified devices are associated with either decoration.

Jordan survived the Civil War and lived for many decades afterward. His life extended into a period in which the United States Navy changed dramatically from the wooden and ironclad vessels of the Civil War era to the increasingly modern fleet of the twentieth century.

He died on July 17, 1930, in Baltimore, Maryland, and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

Yet his military legacy remained tied to one extraordinary day in Mobile Bay.

As Confederate artillery fired from Fort Morgan, Thomas H. Jordan stood in an exposed position aboard USS Galena and continued attending to the signals needed to keep the ship functioning within Farragut’s attacking fleet.

Oneida was damaged.

The ships remained under heavy fire.

Jordan stayed at his duty.

For his gallantry and coolness during that passage, he received the Medal of Honor.

Together with the Navy Civil War Campaign Medal recognizing his broader qualifying wartime service, his decorations preserve the story of a Union quartermaster who remained at his exposed signal station while the guns of Mobile Bay thundered around him.