b. 09/10/1844 Baltimore, Maryland. d. 23/02/1917 Washington DC.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 05/08/1864 Mobile Bay, Alabama.
Bartholomew Diggins MOH
Bartholomew Diggins was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He entered the U.S. Navy from Maryland and served during the Civil War as an Ordinary Seaman on Rear Admiral David Farragut’s flagship USS Hartford. Despite heavy gun fire at the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama on August 5, 1864, Diggins continually loaded a gun during the two-hour battle which damaged batteries at Fort Morgan and ended with the surrender of CSS Tennessee (1863). He was awarded the Medal of Honor in recognition of his conduct during this action. Bartholomew Diggins died in Washington, D.C. and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.
MOH CITATION:
On board the flagship, U.S.S. Hartford, during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, DIGGINS, as loader of a gun, remained steadfast as his post throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 13, GRAVE 5400-15
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM, ARLINGTON, TEXAS.
