Hugh Purvis (March 5, 1840 – February 12, 1922) was a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for actions on board the during the United States 1871 expedition to Korea.

Biography

Born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania, Purvis enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 27, 1869. He reported immediately to the

Marine Detachment A Marine Detachment, or MarDet, was a unit of United States Marines permanently embarked on large warships including cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers, typically consisting of anywhere 35 and 85 men. They were a regular component of a s ...

aboard the USS ''Alaska'' soon departing for the Far East. During the punitive expedition to

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, he took part in the assault on an enemy fort on the Han River. In desperate hand-to-hand fighting, the sailors and Marines stormed the walls of the citadel. Private Purvis ran immediately to the flagstaff which bore the Korean colors and loosed the halyards. He was joined by Cpl Charles Brown, and the two tore down the flag. For his "inspiring and heroic" act, Purvis received the Medal of Honor. He was discharged in 1873 and served two additional tours with the Marine Corps, 1874 to 1879 and 1879 to 1884, rising to the rank of

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

. He is buried in Saint Annes Cemetery,

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

.Marine Corps University
/ref>

Namesake

*, a U.S. Navy Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named in his honor."Hugh Purvis", ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'', NHC. *Purvis Road on

Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southe ...

is named in his honor.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: March 5, 1846, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 169, February 8, 1872. Citation:

On board the U.S.S. Alaska during the attack on and capture of the Korean forts, 11 June 1871. Braving the enemy fire, Purvis was the first to scale the walls of the fort and capture the flag of the Korean forces."Purvis, Hugh", ''Medal of Honor recipients — Korean Campaign 1871'', CMH.

Notes

References

: * * *
General Orders and Circulars Issued by the Navy Department
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purvis, Hugh 1840 births 1922 deaths United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients United States Marines Military personnel from Philadelphia Korean Expedition (1871) recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Namesake

Medal of Honor citation

See also

Notes

References