Photo of Medal of Honor Recipient William Pelham

On August 5, Union Admiral David Farragut’s Union fleet of eighteen ships entered Mobile Bay, Alabama, and received a devastating fire from Forts Gaines and Morgan and other points. His wooden ships fought valiantly under this devastating fire as well as shells from the rebel gunboats and the ironclad ram Tennessee. After passing the forts, Farragut forced the Confederate naval forces under Admiral Buchanan, to surrender, along with the prized ram Tennessee. Fort Morgan was destroyed and this action effectively closed Mobile Bay as a Confederate port, making the action one of the greatest Naval victories of the war. Ninety sailors and eight Marines were awarded Medals of Honor, the most for any single day in history. Twelve crewmen of the flagship, U.S.S. Hartford were numbered among these heroes, including Landsman William Pelham. When the other members of his guncrew were killed or wounded under the enemy's terrific shellfire, Landsman Pelham calmly assisted the casualties below and voluntarily returned and took his place at an adjoining gun where another man had been struck down. He continued to fight his gun throughout the remainder of the battle.

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