b. 1839 Scotland. d. ?
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 05/08/1864 Mobile Bay, Alabama.
Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He entered the Union Navy at New York, New York. His citation reads “As captain of the forecastle on board the USS Metacomet, Harris was a member of the boat’s crew which went to the rescue of the officers and crew of the USS Monitor Tecumseh, when the vessel was struck by a torpedo in passing the enemy forts in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Harris braved the enemy fire which was said by the admiral to be “one of the most galling” he had ever seen, and aided in rescuing from death 10 of the crew of the Tecumseh, thereby eliciting the admiration of both friend and foe.”
MOH CITATION:
As captain of the forecastle on board the U.S.S. Metacomet, Harris was a member of the boat’s crew which went to the rescue of the officers and crew of the U.S. Monitor Tecumseh, when the vessel was struck by a torpedo in passing the enemy forts in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Harris braved the enemy fire which was said by the admiral to be “one of the most galling” he had ever seen, and aided in rescuing from death 10 of the crew of the Tecumseh, thereby eliciting the admiration of both friend and foe.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.