Hugh Molloy

Hugh Molloy

Ordinary Seaman Hugh Molloy
Born September 25, 1841(1841-09-25)[1]
Comerford, Ireland[1]
Died March 8, 1922(1922-03-08)
Place of burial Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois
Allegiance United States of America
Union
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Ordinary Seaman
Unit USS Fort Hindman (1862)
Battles/wars American Civil War
Awards Medal of Honor

Hugh Molloy (September 25, 1841[1] – March 8, 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.

Contents

Biography

During the Civil War, Molloy served as an Ordinary Seaman on USS Fort Hindman (1862). He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during an engagement with a Confederate artillery battery near Harrisonburg, Louisiana, on March 2, 1864.

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

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1832, Illinois. Accredited to: Illinois. G.O. No.: 32, April 16, 1864.

Citation:

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.[2]

See also

Biography portal
United States Navy portal
American Civil War portal

Notes

  1. ^ 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 "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (M-Z)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html. Retrieved July 1, 2010. , while the book Deeds of Valor gives his birth as September 25, 1841 in Comerford, Ireland[1], and Molloy's gravestone also gives his birth as September 25, 1841 "Hugh Molloy". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9118362. Retrieved September 24, 2010. . This article assumes that the information in Deeds of Valor and Molloy's gravestone is correct.
  2. ^ "MOLLOY, HUGH , Civil War Medal of Honor recipient". American Civil War website. 2007-11-08. http://americancivilwar.com/medal_of_honor6.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History & Heritage Command.