branch death_date birth_place allegiance unit awards placeofburial_label battles birth_date placeofburial rank article_title name
united states navy february 17 , 1901 1829 new york city united states cayuga 1861 6 medal of honor place of burial american philip civil war battle of forts jackson and st. 1829 kew gardens , queens , new york city quartermaster edward wright -lrb- medal of honor -rrb-
 edward wright
edward wright -lrb- medal of honor -rrb-

edward wright -lrb- 1829 -- february 17 , 1901 -rrb- was a union navy sailor in the american civil war and a recipient of the u.s. military 's highest decoration , the medal of honor , for his actions at the battle of forts jackson and st. philip .
born in 1829 in new york city , wright was still living in the state of new york when he joined the navy .
he served during the civil war as a quartermaster on the .
at the battle of forts jackson and st. philip near new orleans on april 24 , 1862 , he `` conscientiously performed his duties throughout the action '' .
for his part in the battle , he was awarded the medal of honor a year later on april 3 , 1863 .
wright 's official medal of honor citation reads : on board the u.s.s. `` cayuga '' during the capture of forts st. philip and jackson and the taking of new orleans , 24 and 25 april 1862 .
as his ship led the advance column toward the barrier and both forts opened fire simultaneously , striking the vessel from stem to stern wright conscientiously performed his duties throughout the action in which attempts by 3 rebel steamers to butt and board were repelled , and the ships driven off or forced to surrender .
eleven gunboats were successfully engaged and the enemy garrisons captured during this battle in which the `` cayuga '' sustained 46 hits .
wright died on february 17 , 1901 , at age 71 or 72 and was buried in kew gardens , queens , in his home of new york city .
