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Cypress Hills National Cemetery
  2-5011  

DOUBLE RECIPIENT

Born:  July 24, 1828 at Dublin, Ireland

Entered Service in the US Navy from New York, NY

     Earned FIRST Medal of Honor During the Civil War For heroism August 05, 1864 at Mobile Bay, Fort Morgan, AL
     Earned SECOND Medal of Honor During Peace Time  For heroism April 26, 1865 at Mobile, AL

First Award
On August 5, Union Admiral David Farragut's Union fleet of eighteen ships entered Mobile Bay, Alabama, and received a devastating fire from Forts Gaines and Morgan and other points. Admiral Farragut's wooden ships fought valiantly under this devastating fire as well as shells from the rebel gunboats and the ironclad ram Tennessee. After passing the forts, Farragut forced the Confederate naval forces under Admiral Franklin Buchanan, to surrender, along with the prized ram Tennessee. Fort Morgan was destroyed and this action effectively closed Mobile Bay as a Confederate port, making the action one of the greatest Naval victories of the war. Ninety sailors and eight Marines were awarded Medals of Honor in this battle, the most for any single day in the award's history. Twenty-three crewmen of the U.S.S. Brooklyn were numbered among these heroes, including Coxswain John Cooper. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks from stem to stern, Coxswain Cooper fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious battle
Second Award
Quartermaster John Cooper, who just six months earlier had been presented the Medal of Honor for his 1864 heroism during the battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, was serving on the staff of Acting Rear Admiral Thatcher. On April 26, 1865 a large fire broke out at Mobile Bay, which had a large stockpile of supplies and munitions. Despite the danger of exploding shells and the intense heat of the fire, John Cooper advanced through the scene of the inferno to find an injured man. Lifting the injured man to his back, Cooper then carried him to safety, thus saving his life.