Hundreds of Marines have received the Medal of Honor since the Civil War. The very first was a corporal from New York City named John F. Mackie, who earned it during the Civil War aboard a Union ironclad on the James River in Virginia. His story begins the Marine Corps’ long line of Medal of Honor recipients, and it also tells us something about how the nation’s highest military award came to exist. For families who are just getting to know the Marine Corps, Mackie is a good place to start.
Quick Facts
- Name: John Freeman Mackie
- Born: October 1, 1835, in New York City
- Rank at time of action: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps
- Ship: USS Galena, an ironclad gunboat
- Date of action: May 15, 1862
- Battle: Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, near Richmond, Virginia
- Medal awarded: July 10, 1863, under Navy General Order No. 17
- Posthumous: No
- Died: June 18, 1910
How the Medal of Honor Began
When the Civil War began in 1861, the United States had no medal to recognize individual bravery in combat. That changed on December 21, 1861, when President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill creating a medal of honor for the Navy. The law allowed the medal to be given to petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and Marines who distinguished themselves by gallantry in action during the war.
That wording matters. Because Marines were included from the start, the Navy version of the medal became the one awarded to Marines, and it still is today. The Army created its own version the following year. At first the medal was meant only for enlisted men, and officers did not become eligible until later. Over time, the Medal of Honor grew into the highest award for valor the United States can give.
Who Was John Mackie?
John Mackie enlisted in the Marine Corps in New York on April 24, 1861, just days after the war began. In early 1862 he was promoted to corporal and assigned to the Marine guard aboard the USS Galena. In that era, Marines served on Navy ships as security, as sharpshooters during battle, and as extra hands at the guns when needed.
The Galena was one of the Navy’s early experimental ironclads. Its armor was thinner than that of more famous ships like the USS Monitor, and that weakness would soon be tested.
The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
In May 1862, a small Union squadron under Commander John Rodgers steamed up the James River toward Richmond, the Confederate capital. The Galena served as the flagship, joined by the Monitor and several other vessels. About seven miles below Richmond, the river passed beneath a high bluff topped by a Confederate position called Fort Darling. Heavy guns on the bluff, along with riflemen dug in along the riverbanks, were waiting.
On the morning of May 15, the Galena moved close to the bluff and opened fire. For more than three hours, the ship sat nearly still in the river while Confederate guns pounded it. The Galena was struck dozens of times, and shells tore through its thin armor, killing and wounding many of the men serving its cannons.
What Corporal Mackie Did
Through the worst of the shelling, Corporal Mackie kept up steady musket fire against the enemy riflemen along the shore. When gun crews were cut down, he and the surviving Marines of the ship’s guard were ordered to take their places. Mackie led them to the guns and kept them firing with skill and steadiness until the squadron finally pulled back.
The Union attack did not reach Richmond that day. Even so, the conduct of the Galena’s crew was noticed, and Mackie’s actions were singled out. On July 10, 1863, the Navy awarded him the Medal of Honor in General Order No. 17. He is recognized as the first Marine in history to receive the Medal of Honor. The medal reached him by mail later that year while he was serving aboard another ship, the USS Seminole.
Life After the War
Mackie was promoted to orderly sergeant in late 1862 and served until the end of the war. He was honorably discharged in Boston in August 1865. He lived until June 18, 1910, long enough to see the Medal of Honor become one of the most respected honors in the country.
What Mackie’s Story Means for Marine Families
Marine recruits spend part of boot camp learning the history of the Corps, and they quickly discover that Marines take that history personally. Stories like Mackie’s show recruits that they are joining something with deep roots. A Marine corporal stepping up to crew a cannon on a battered ironclad in 1862 is part of the same story your recruit is now joining.
Mackie’s story also shows how much responsibility the Corps places on junior Marines. He was a corporal, not an officer, and in a crisis he led other Marines through it. Corporals and sergeants are still the backbone of the Marine Corps today. If your recruit becomes a noncommissioned officer, they will carry that same responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor?
Corporal John F. Mackie is recognized as the first Marine to earn the Medal of Honor. He earned it for his actions aboard the USS Galena at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia, on May 15, 1862.
When were Marines first eligible for the Medal of Honor?
Marines were eligible from the beginning. The law President Lincoln signed on December 21, 1861, created the Navy’s medal of honor and specifically included Marines among the enlisted men who could receive it.
Why do Marines receive the Navy version of the Medal of Honor?
The Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy, and Marines were included in the Navy’s original 1861 medal. For that reason, Marines have always received the Navy design rather than the Army or Air Force versions.
Do recruits learn about John Mackie at boot camp?
Recruits study Marine Corps history during boot camp, including the Corps’ Medal of Honor tradition. Exactly which stories are covered can vary, but the history of the medal and its earliest Marine recipients is part of the heritage recruits are taught to respect.