Photo By Jacob Bertram | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. John F. Mackie wears his Medal of Honor along with a Grand Army...... read more read more
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There are moments throughout our lives that define us as people, the Marine Corps is no different. We’ve gathered some of the most impactful events throughout the history of the Marine Corps, let’s see what happened “On this day.”
157 years ago, Cpl. John F. Mackie performed the acts that would ultimately earn him the spot as the first Marine to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor. On May 15, 1862, Mackie, serving aboard the USS Galena, sailed up the James River toward Richmond, Virginia. In their path sat the confederate held Fort Darling. While the morning was fresh the Galena, along with its accompany of ships, opened fire on the confederate fort. During the onset of the battle, the ships accompanying the Galena were forced to pull back out of range leaving the Galena alone to push the attack upon the enemy stronghold. At the height of the battle, a round fired from the fort penetrated through the hull of the ship, taking out one of the ship’s parrot guns and killing the majority of its crew.
“As soon as the smoke cleared away a terrible sight was revealed to my eyes,” said Mackie. “The entire after division was down and the deck covered with dead and dying men.”
Mackie wasted no time. He jumped into action, quickly rallying the surrounding men, and directed them in clearing the gun of casualties and debris. Within no time the guns were up and firing upon the fortress.
“Splinters were swept from the guns, and sand thrown on the deck, which was slippery with human blood, and in an instant the heavy parrot rifle and dahlgren guns were ready and at work upon the fort,” said Mackie.
The Galena fought completely alone against the superior fortress for more than four hours. By the time the Galena ran dry of ammunition, the ship had taken 28 hits with 18 of those punching through the hull. Nearly half the crew lay dead or wounded.
Mackie, a little more than a year later, after being reassigned to the USS Seminole received the Medal of Honor with his citation reading: “On board the Galena in the attack on Fort Darling at Drewry’s Bluff, James River, on 15 May 1862. As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Corporal Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits along the shore and, when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapons with skill and courage.”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2019 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 320044 |
| Location: | MCAS CHERRY POINT, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 133 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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