John Hayes (20 July 1832 - 28 January 1911) was a veteran of the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Biography
Hayes was born in the Colony of Newfoundland, but left his home at an early age to work on British and American merchant vessels in the years leading up to the Civil War. He joined the United States Navy in December 1861. He served throughout the Civil War and was discharged in August 1868.
Later in 1868, Hayes moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and served on several ships that sailed the Great Lakes. He soon abandoned his naval lifestyle and settled down on a farm in Wisconsin and married. Near the end of his life, Hayes moved to Blairstown, Iowa, to be near his daughter. He died in January 1911.[1]
Battle of Cherbourg
In June 1864, Hayes was serving as the second captain of the number two gun of the USS Kearsarge. The ship was pursuing the CSS Alabama, a successful commerce raiding ship. On June 19, 1864, the Kearsarge found the Alabama off of the coast of the French port of Cherbourg. The two ships battled, and the Alabama was destroyed in less than an hour. The accuracy of the gun operated by Hayes was instrumental in sinking the Alabama.[2] Hayes received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.[3][4]
Citation
Served on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as second captain of the No. 2 gun during this bitter engagement, Hayes exhibited marked coolness and good conduct and was highly recommended for his gallantry under fire by the divisional officer.[5]
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L
- Battle of Cherbourg (1864)
- CSS Alabama
- USS Kearsarge
Notes
- ^ "Coxswain John Hayes". State Historical Society of Iowa. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ "Coxswain John Hayes". State Historical Society of Iowa. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ "Navy Medal of Honor: Civil War 1861-65". United States Navy. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ "John Hayes". Military Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ Sterner, C. "Hayes, John". Home of Heroes. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
References
- Gindlesperger, James (2003). Fire on the Water: The USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama. Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press. p. 333. ISBN 9781572493063. OCLC 52071690.
- Matthews, Franklin (1915). Our Navy in Time of War (1861-1915). New York, NY: D. Appleton and Company. OCLC 940844432.
- Marvel, William (1996). The Alabama & the Kearsarge: The Sailor's Civil War. Civil War America. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. p. 337. ISBN 9780807866900. OCLC 47010328.
- Porter, ADM USN, David Dixon (1886). The Naval History of the Civil War. New York, NY: The Sherman Publishing Company. OCLC 280729.
- Soley, James Russell (1885). The Blockade and the Cruisers. The Navy in the Civil War. Vol. I. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. OCLC 166312281.
- Winslow, John A., CAPT USN (1864). Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy (ed.). Sinking of the Alabama—Capture of the Georgia and Florida: Destruction of the Alabama by the Kearsarge. Annual Reports of the Navy Department: Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1864. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 863. OCLC 2480810.
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External links
"John Hayes". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
