Benjamin Swearer (May 18, 1825 – November 2, 1902) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

—for his actions in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. While serving as a

Seaman Seaman may refer to: * Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew * Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies * Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name) * ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...

aboard the

steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...

on August 29, 1861, Swearer took part in the capture of Fort Clark at Hatteras Inlet,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. For his service during this action, known as the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, Swearer was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 3, 1863.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1825, Baltimore, Md. Accredited to: Maryland. G.O. No.: 11, April 3, 1863. Citation:

Embarked in a surfboat from the U.S.S. Pawnee during action against Fort Clark, off Baltimore Inlet, August 29, 1861. Taking part in a mission to land troops and to remain inshore and provide protection, Swearer rendered gallant service throughout the action and had the honor of being the first man to raise the flag on the captured fort.

References

: * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swearer, Benjamin 1825 births 1902 deaths United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from Baltimore Union Navy sailors People of Maryland in the American Civil War American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References