 He served during the Civil War as a coal heaver on Admiral David Farragut's flagship, the .At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, he lost a toe to Confederate fire but continued his duties at the shell whip (a device used to lift ammunition up to the gun deck) until receiving a second, severe, wound.For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on December 31, 1864.