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Rank and organization: Coal Heaver, U.S. Navy. Born: 1840, Russia. Accredited
to: Maine. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: On board the U.S.S.
Agawam, as one of a volunteer crew of a powder boat which was exploded
near Fort Fisher, 23 December 1864. The powder boat, towed in by the Wilderness
to prevent detection by the enemy, cast off and slowly steamed to within
300 yards of the beach. After fuses and fires had been lit and a second
anchor with short scope let go to assure the boat's tailing inshore, the
crew again boarded the Wilderness and proceeded a distance of 12 miles
from shore. Less than 2 hours later the explosion took place, and the following
day, fires were observed still burning at the fort.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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