Over forty New Hampshire men, whether a native son, a resident, or a volunteer accredited to the state, earned a Medal of Honor for their actions during the Civil War. Here is one story:
ROBERT ANDERSON
Quartermaster, U.S. Navy
Place/Date of Action:during Battle of Charleston Harbor, 8 Apr 1863
Issued: G.O. No. 17, 10 July 1863
Citation: Served on board the U.S.S. Crusader and the Keokuk during various actions of those vessels. Carrying out his duties skillfully while on board the U.S.S. Crusader, Q.M. Anderson, on all occasions, set forth the greatest intrepidity and devotion. During the attack on Charleston, while serving on board the U.S.S. Keokuk, Q.M. Anderson was stationed at the wheel when shot penetrated the house and, with the scattering of the iron, used his own body as a shield for his commanding officer.
Quartermaster, U.S. Navy
Place/Date of Action:during Battle of Charleston Harbor, 8 Apr 1863
Issued: G.O. No. 17, 10 July 1863
Citation: Served on board the U.S.S. Crusader and the Keokuk during various actions of those vessels. Carrying out his duties skillfully while on board the U.S.S. Crusader, Q.M. Anderson, on all occasions, set forth the greatest intrepidity and devotion. During the attack on Charleston, while serving on board the U.S.S. Keokuk, Q.M. Anderson was stationed at the wheel when shot penetrated the house and, with the scattering of the iron, used his own body as a shield for his commanding officer.
While the citation seems to indicate that QM Anderson received a Medal of Honor due to his service on board both the Crusader and the Keokuk over various campaigns, the latter engagement during the First Battle of Charleston Harbor was the key instance where his actions earned him the medal two months later.
The USS Keokuk, on which was Quartermaster Anderson, was part of a nine ship flotilla, including the USS New Ironsides and seven monitors (Catskill, Montauk, Nahant, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco, and Weehawken), set to attack Charleston, South Carolina on April 7th, 1863. The battle began at noon, but obstructions in the harbor and a strong tide made the ships unmanageable, and accurate fire from the coastal forts quickly turned the attack into a failure. The ironclads received a heavy pounding, one the Keokuk did not recover from. Struck by some ninety shells, she was kept afloat through the night, but sank the following morning, with all of her crew saved.
The USS Keokuk, on which was Quartermaster Anderson, was part of a nine ship flotilla, including the USS New Ironsides and seven monitors (Catskill, Montauk, Nahant, Nantucket, Passaic, Patapsco, and Weehawken), set to attack Charleston, South Carolina on April 7th, 1863. The battle began at noon, but obstructions in the harbor and a strong tide made the ships unmanageable, and accurate fire from the coastal forts quickly turned the attack into a failure. The ironclads received a heavy pounding, one the Keokuk did not recover from. Struck by some ninety shells, she was kept afloat through the night, but sank the following morning, with all of her crew saved.
Sinking of the USS Keokuk, 8 Apr 1863
Robert Nero Anderson was born in Ireland on 15 Dec 1843 [from death rec], and immigrated from Liverpool, England to the United States in June 1852 [Nat papers]. He enlisted with the US Navy in 1856 (or 1858), the exact location not yet known [likely outside of N.H., as he wasn't listed in Aylings Revised Register]. According to the Pension Index, he had served on numerous naval vessels, including the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Fulton, Constellation, North Carolina, Crusader, Seneca, Keokuk, and the Paul Jones. His full pension file is not fully available on Fold3, so all of the facts concerning his many years in the Navy are not known at this time.
He filed his naturalization papers in 1866, and became a US citizen on 23 Nov 1866. He was a resident of Portsmouth by this time, having married Mary Walsh there in 1864. Seven children are recorded in city records with this couple, though most of them died young. He remarried to Nellie Walsh in 1886, and they had a son, and he thirdly married in 1897 to Margaret Gannon. For many years he worked as a watchman at the Navy Yard ferry landing, and had a home at 69 Daniel Street.
He filed his naturalization papers in 1866, and became a US citizen on 23 Nov 1866. He was a resident of Portsmouth by this time, having married Mary Walsh there in 1864. Seven children are recorded in city records with this couple, though most of them died young. He remarried to Nellie Walsh in 1886, and they had a son, and he thirdly married in 1897 to Margaret Gannon. For many years he worked as a watchman at the Navy Yard ferry landing, and had a home at 69 Daniel Street.
Robert Anderson died in Portsmouth, NH on 20 June 1900. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery on the 23rd. His obituary, printed in the Portsmouth Herald on 21 June 1900 (pg 6) read as follows (a son also survived, but is missing from obit):
Links:
General Orders and Circulars Issued by the Navy Department, 1863 to 1887, pg 9
Medal of Honor, 1863-1968: pg 20
Naval History and Heritage Command: photo of the Keokuk used above
Wikipedia article about the U.S.S. Keokuk
General Orders and Circulars Issued by the Navy Department, 1863 to 1887, pg 9
Medal of Honor, 1863-1968: pg 20
Naval History and Heritage Command: photo of the Keokuk used above
Wikipedia article about the U.S.S. Keokuk
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