James Avery (sailor)

Infobox Military Person
name=James Avery
born= 1825
died= death year and age|1898|1825


caption= Medal of Honor recipient
nickname=
placeofbirth=Scotland
placeofdeath=
placeofburial= Captain Ted Conaway Memorial Naval Cemetery Portsmouth, Virginia
allegiance= United States of America Union
branch= United States Navy Union Navy
serviceyears=
rank= Seaman
unit= USS Metacomet (1863)
commands=
battles=American Civil War
awards=Medal of Honor
relations=
laterwork=

James Avery (1825 - 1898) was an American Civil War Union Navy Seaman who received the Medal of Honor while serving aboard the USS Metacomet (1863).

Biography

James Avery was born in Scotland in 1825.

On August 5th the USS "Metacomet" along with 17 other ships entered Mobile Bay and during the battle that ensued the Union monitor Tecumseh was sunk by a Confederate torpedo. James Avery aided in rescuing 10 members of the Tecumseh crew while enduring heavy enemy fire.

Many years after the war Avery was serving as a berth-deck cook and it was discovered by the captain that he had won a medal of honor. When asked about the medal he said:

"That can tell you more about it than I can. I did like the rest of the men that day, and I never expected anything more than my pay and rations. We tried to do our duty, and when we saw the men in the other ship being shot down and some drowning, we could only try to help them. God knows it was hard to see them being murdered without much change for escape"

This incident was reported in the New York Times in January 16, 1898. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A07E1DC1638E433A25755C1A9679C94699ED7CF New York Times Article] ]

Avery later served in one of the bureaus of the Navy Department.

He died on October 11, 1898 and is buried in Captain Ted Conaway Memorial Naval Cemetery Portsmouth, Virginia.findagrave|7911021 Retrieved on 2007-11-06]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1825, Scotland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 71, January 15, 1866.

Citation:

:Served on board the U.S.S. Metacomet. As a member of the boat's crew which went to the rescue of the U.S. monitor Tecumseh when that vessel was struck by a torpedo in passing the enemy forts in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864, S/man Avery 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, eliciting the admiration of both friend and foe.cite web
accessdate=2007-12-01
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwaral.html
title = James Avery, Medal of Honor recipient
work = American Civil War
publisher Army Medal of Honor website
date = July 16, 2007]

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*

Notes

References

*findagrave|7911021 Retrieved on 2007-11-06
*cite web
accessdate=2007-12-01
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwaral.html
title = James Avery, Medal of Honor recipient
work = American Civil War
publisher Army Medal of Honor website
date = July 16, 2007
* [http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/states/pages_af/avery_james.html Grave Photo]

* [1] [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A07E1DC1638E433A25755C1A9679C94699ED7CF New York Times Article]

Persondata
NAME= Avery, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH= 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH= Scotland
DATE OF DEATH= 1898
PLACE OF DEATH=