Richard D. Dunphy (December 12, 1841 – November 23, 1904) was a Union Navy sailor in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, 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 his actions at the

Battle of Mobile Bay The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was a naval and land engagement of the American Civil War in which a Union fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fle ...

Military service

Born on December 12, 1841, in Ireland, Dunphy immigrated to the United States and was living in New York City when he joined the U.S. Navy on December 17, 1863. He served during the Civil War as a coal heaver on Admiral

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral, Vice admiral (United State ...

's flagship, the . At the

on August 5, 1864, he "performed his duties with skill and courage" despite heavy fire. He was severely wounded by fragments of an artillery shell fired by the Confederate ironclad , losing both of his arms above the elbow. For his actions during the battle, he was approved for the Medal of Honor four months later, on December 31, 1864.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Coal Heaver, U.S. Navy. Accredited to: New York. Dunphy's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

On board the flagship U.S.S. ''Hartford'' during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the rebel ram ''Tennessee'', Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. With his ship under terrific enemy shellfire, Dunphy performed his duties with skill and courage throughout this fierce engagement which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram ''Tennessee''.

Post War life, death and burial

After his injury, Dunphy left the Navy and hired an aide to accompany him throughout the day and assist with such tasks as feeding himself. In 1866, he wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878) was an American government official who was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Althou ...

explaining that he had never received his medal. He eventually moved to Wisconsin, married, and raised a family. The

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

approved an extra pension for Dunphy in 1868 to help him support his family. Dunphy died on November 23, 1904, in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

at age 62 and was buried in Saint Vincent's Cemetery,

Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California, United States, and the second largest city in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the ci ...

. Dunphy's obituary in the November 24, 1904 San Francisco Call newspaper read:

Old Naval Hero Dies. - Richard D. Dunphy, one of the naval heroes of the Civil War, passed away at his home in this city yesterday morning. Dunphy served in Admiral Farragut's fleet during the war and had both arms shot off during the battle of Mobile Bay. He was a native of Ireland and 62 years old.

References

External links

Photograph of Dunphy
at ''Luminous Lint'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunphy, Richard D. 1841 births 1904 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union Navy sailors United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients People without hands American amputees American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor