Cornelius Cronin, Medal of Honor Recipient
notes: label: Description
content: ´Black and white photographic portrait of Medal of Honor recipient Cornelius Cronin wearing Medal and standing with hat in hand, for service during the Civil War.
label: Description
content: Cronin was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 1864.
label: Description
content: On August 5, 1864, Rear Admiral David Farragut commanded a Union fleet of fourteen wooden ships and four Monitors past Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay to attack the Confederate fleet positioned there. Farragut famously climbed the mast of the U.S.S. <i>Hartford</i> and had himself secured with ropes to better view the battle. Out of the Union Monitors, only the <i>Tecumseh</i> was lost in the Confederate minefield at the mouth of the bay. Once in position, Farragut’s ships engaged the Confederate flotilla and the formidable ironclad, C.S.S. <i>Tennessee</i>. Farragut was eventually successful in capturing the well-armored <i>Tennessee</i> and subsequently engaged Fort Gaines and Fort Powell through the month of August, eventually forcing Fort Morgan to surrender. The battle was considered an important Union victory, depriving the Confederacy of its last significant Gulf port east of Texas although the city of Mobile itself was not taken.
label: Description
content: The inscription on the reverse of the photograph states that Cronin served as Chief Quartermaster on the U.S.S. <i>Richmond</i>, during the action in Mobile Bay, adding that Cronin was "commended for coolness and close attention to duty in looking out for signals and steering the ship in the action in Mobile Bay on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He has been in the naval service eight years. Joined the <i>Brooklyn</i> in December, 1861; was in the actions with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and with the rebel iron-clads and gunboats below New Orleans; was in the action with the Chalmetto batteries; present at the surrender of New Orleans; and in the attack on the batteries below Vicksburg, in 1862. Joined the <i>Richmond</i> in September, 1863. Afterwards appointed a gunner in the navy."
label: Description
content: A Buckley-class destroyer-escort, the U.S.S. <i>Cronin</i>, was named in his honor.
label: Description
content: Official Citation:
label: Description
content: CRONIN, CORNELIUS
label: Description
content: Rank and organization: Chief Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1836, Michigan. Accredited to: Michigan. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Richmond in action at Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Cool and vigilant at his station throughout the prolonged action, Cronin watched for signals and skillfully steered the ship as she trained her guns on Fort Morgan and on ships of the Confederacy despite extremely heavy return fire. He participated in the actions at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, with the Chalmette batteries, at the surrender of New Orleans, and in the attacks on batteries below Vicksburg.
topic: label: Subject
content: Portraits
label: Subject
content: Medal of Honor
label: related event
content: Civil War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Naval
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content: Military
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content: Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Portraits
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content: Photography
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Medal of Honor Legion of the United States of America
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.11778.06
label: accession number
content: 51057
label: catalog number
content: 11778.06
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 in x 4 1/4 in; 15.24 cm x 10.795 cm