Thomas Smith

He served his howitzer steady under hot fire on land!

Thomas Smith was an English-born Union sailor whose Medal of Honor came from fighting ashore with a naval gun crew. Born in 1838, he served as a Seaman aboard USS Magnolia during the closing months of the Civil War.

On 5 and 6 March 1865, near St. Marks, Florida, Smith was part of the naval force supporting Union troops in the Battle of Natural Bridge campaign. He helped handle and transport a Navy howitzer while under hostile fire and remained steady during the action. His conduct was recognized with the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor Citation (condensed): While serving with the Army near St. Marks, Smith helped move and serve a naval howitzer under fire and showed marked coolness and determination in the engagement.

Smith died on 22 October 1905 in Tennessee and was buried at Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee. His record is a reminder that Civil War sailors sometimes earned their distinction far from a ship's deck, fighting with naval weapons alongside soldiers on land.