John Hickman (Medal of Honor)

John Pierce Hickman (March 2, 1836 – December 24, 1904)[1] was a Second Class Fireman in the Union Navy during the American Civil War, in which he earned the Medal of Honor for service aboard the USS Richmond.

[2] He entered Service in the US Navy from Pennsylvania, and eventually rose to the rank of Second Class Fireman during the Civil War.

On that day, the squadron attempted to head up the river towards the enemy port, with their ship second in line.

The ship was hit and damaged by a 6-inch solid rifle shot which shattered the starboards safety-valve chamber and port safety valve as it rounded a bend beneath the fortifications.

Acting courageously in this crisis, Hickman persisted in penetrating the steam-filled room in order to haul the hot fires of the furnaces and continued this action until the gravity of the situation had been lessened.

Illustration of Matthew McClelland , Joseph E. Vantine , John Rush and John Hickman on the USS Richmond in the attack on the Port Hudson batteries, March 14, 1863 — the action that earned each of them the Medal of Honor
Hickman served on the USS Richmond , pictured at Baton Rouge in 1863