The Medal of Honor

Other Recipients

The first sailor to earn the Medal of Honor was "captain of the maintop" John Williams of the USS Pawnee. During the attack on Mathias Point, Virginia, on June 26, 1861, Williams, although severely wounded in the thigh by a musket ball, retained command of his assault boat. When the flagstaff was shot away, he held the stump of it that secured the flag in his hand and rallied his men. That qualified as his medal-winning deed.

Corporal John Mackie was the first US Marine to earn the nation's highest award. While aboard the USS Galena in the attack on Fort Darling on the James River in Virginia on May 15, 1862, Mackie ignored the heavy volume of enemy fire raining down on his ship and maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits on the shore. Later, when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by casualties, he manned the weapons with skill and courage, and brought the attention to himself that secured the award for him.

Among those first individual awards of the Medal of Honor, the deed of Sailor Williams spoke most clearly of the significance the flag held for the men of the Civil War. To both sides it was more than a piece of cloth. It symbolized their beliefs and the cause for which they shed their blood. Because of this, and the fact that flags were used as reference and rallying points during a battle, the desire to keep the flag flying and well protected provided a source of inspiration to the soldiers. Also because of this, the capture of a unit's standard was a tremendous embarrassment and affront to the unit involved. For the man who seized the flag, the act spoke most highly of his heroism in capturing the trophy. Subsequently, many of the Medals of Honor earned by soldiers involved flags. Citation after citation reads: "capture of enemy flag," or "recapture of regiment's colors," or "planting national colors on the enemy's works," or "gallantry as a color bearer."

Not all recipients of the Medal of Honor were men, at least not in age. Many of these distinguished heroes were in their teens, and at least one was only twelve years old.

The first Medal of Honor awarded after the original presentation ceremony for the Andrews Raiders in March, 1863, went to musician Willie Johnston, Company D, 3rd Vermont Infantry. Willie was born in 1850. When his father enlisted in December, 1861, young Willie begged to go with him. The commanding officer agreed to let Willie join up, and he was enlisted as a drummer boy on December 11, 1861.

Willie's first fight was at Lee's Mills, Virginia, on April 16, 1862. During his next campaign, the Seven Days fighting and the Peninsula Campaign from June 25 to July 1, 1862, Willie was cited for the Medal of Honor. It was during the disastrous retreat from that campaign, when strong men threw away all their equipment so they would have less weight to carry, that young Willie Johnston retained his drum and brought it safely to Harrison's Landing. There, he had the honor of drumming for the division parade, he being the only drummer boy to bring his instrument off the battlefields.

Young Johnston's division commander noted these facts and included them in his report. Somehow, President Lincoln heard the story and wrote Secretary Stanton suggesting the youth be given a medal. Stanton agreed, and Willie Johnston was presented his Medal of Honor September 16, 1863, at the age of 13, for a deed performed when he was but 12 years of age.

The Army had no monopoly on youthful heroes. Two of the youngest recipients of the Navy Medal of Honor were Cabin Boy John Angling of the USS Pontoosuc and Second Class Boy Oscar Peck of the USS Varuna. Both were 14 years old when they earned their decorations.