Monitor U.S.S. Tecumseh

John Loughrey was born circa 1839 in Newark, New Jersey, and enlisted on 10 August 1861 at the New York Naval Rendezvous as an ordinary seaman for a three years enlistment ^[1]

Loughrey served aboard the U.S.S. Potomac and U.S.S. Owasco ^[2]. Since the Owasco was at the Pensacola Navy Yard undergoing repairs that would last until October 1864, Loughrey went with a number of his shipmates to augment the Tecumseh's complement for the impending Battle of Mobile Bay after a number of her crew were sent ashore sick. He was officially attached to the Tecumseh on 4 August 1864.^[3]

Loughrey was aboard the Tecumseh during the Battle of Mobile Bay and survived the sinking by swimming ashore where he was captured by confederates at Fort Morgan. Per RADM Farragut's report, Loughrey along with the other Tecumseh survivors who swam ashore instead of being rescued by the U.S.S. Metacomet crew or the Tecumseh's own cutter were sent to Andersonville Prison.^{[4], [5]}

Loughrey died 20 December 1864 at U.S. General Hospital, Annapolis, MD, of pneumonia. ^{[6], [7]} (note: during the Civil War, the Naval Academy was temporarily moved to Newport, Rhode Island and the Annapolis grounds used by the Army as a hospital primarily for repatriated prisoners of war.)

Interment

 

Dependents

 

Awards & Memorials

 

Alternate Spellings of Name

John Loughery, John Loundsberry

References and Sources

^[1] Return of the United States Naval Rendezvous, New York, New York, for the week ending August 10, 1861

^[2] NARA T1099. An index to rendezvous reports during the Civil War, 1861-1865.

^[3] "Various Naval Matters" Army and Navy Journal, August 27, 1864 p13

^[4] "Report of Rear-Admiral Farragut, U.S. Navy, Regarding Captured Members of the U.S.S. Tecumseh's Crew." United States House of Representatives: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion: Series I, Volume 21 West Gulf Blockading Squadron from January 1 to December 31, 1864, Government Printing Office, 1906. p.493

^[5] "OUR BLOCKADING SQUADRONS.; Particulars of the Capture of the Lucy and the Annie off Wilmington; Captures Reported by Admiral Farragut; Safety of Four of the Tecumseh's Crew; Expedition to St. Andrew's Bay, Florida." New York Times, November 8, 1864

^[6] "List of Deaths in the Navy of the United States, which have been reported to the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, for the week ending December 24, 1864" Army and Navy Journal, December 31, 1864 p300

^[7] Lists of Deaths in the United States Naval Service During the Civil War, compiled 1861–1865. ARC ID: 1226166. Record and Pension Office: Records Relating to the Sick and Wounded. Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1762–1984, Record Group 94. National Archives at Washington, D.C.