Hugh Molloy

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Hugh Molloy
25 September 1841^[1] – 8 March 1922
Ordinary Seaman Hugh Molloy
Place of birth	Comerford, Ireland^[1]
Allegiance	United States Navy
Rank	Ordinary Seaman
Unit	USS Fort Hindman
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Hugh Molloy (25 September 1841^[1] – 8 March 1922) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the American Civil War.

During the Civil War, Molloy served as an Ordinary Seaman on USS Fort Hindman. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during an engagement with a Confederate artillery battery near Harrisonburg, Louisiana, on 2 March 1864.

Ordinary Seaman Molloy's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. Fort Hindman during the engagement near Harrisonburg, La., 2 March 1864. Following a shellburst which mortally wounded the first sponger, who dropped the sponge out of the forecastle port, Molloy jumped out of the port to the forecastle, recovered the sponge and sponged and loaded the gun for the remainder of the action from his exposed position, despite the extreme danger to his person from the raking fire of enemy musketry.

Hugh Molloy died at age 80 and was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois.

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Records are inconsistent on Molloy's place and year of birth. His Medal of Honor citation gives his birth as 1832 in Illinois[1], while the book Deeds of Valor gives his birth as 25 September 1841 in Comerford, Ireland[2], and Molloy's gravestone also gives his birth as 25 September 1841 [3]. This article assumes that the information in Deeds of Valor and Molloy's gravestone is correct.