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Home Town England
Last Address George's Date of Passing and Burial Site are yet to be determined.
SEAMAN USN - USS MAGNOLIA
CIVIL WAR MEDAL OF HONOR
Awarded for actions during the Civil War
For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Seaman George Pyne, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving as Seaman on board the U.S.S. Magnolia, St. Marks, Florida, 5 and 6 March 1865. Serving with the Army in charge of Navy howitzers during the attack on St. Marks and throughout this fierce engagement, Seaman Pyne, although wounded, made remarkable efforts in assisting transport of the gun, and his coolness and determination in courageously standing by his gun while under the fire of the enemy were a credit to the service to which he belonged.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 59 (June 22, 1865) Action Date: March 05 & 6, 1865 Service: Navy Rank: Seaman Division: U.S.S. Magnolia
Other Comments:
Pyne joined the U.S. Navy from the state of New York in 1862. By March 5, 1865, he was serving as a seaman on the USS Magnolia. On that day and the next, he accompanied a Union Army force during the Battle of Natural Bridge near St. Marks, Florida. Although wounded, he helped transport and fire a naval howitzer throughout the engagement under heavy Confederate fire. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor three months later, on June 22, 1865.
Best Moment MEDAL OF HONOR For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Seaman George Pyne, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving as Seaman on board the U.S.S. Magnolia, St. Marks, Florida, 5 and 6 March 1865. Serving with the Army in charge of Navy howitzers during the attack on St. Marks and throughout this fierce engagement, Seaman Pyne, although wounded, made remarkable efforts in assisting transport of the gun, and his coolness and determination in courageously standing by his gun while under the fire of the enemy were a credit to the service to which he belonged.
Other Memories Magnolia A tree with large fragrant flowers of white, pink, or purple. Magnolia, a wooden, seagoing, sidewheel steamer built at Greenpoint, N.Y., in 1857 by Charles Morgan's Southern SS Co., was impressed as a public vessel in New Orleans, 15 January 1862, by Maj. Gen. Mansfield Lovell, CSA, acting for the Confederacy's Secretary of War Benjamin. The South's original plan to arm her as a ram wag dropped In favor of turning her into a blockade runner. Magnolia made at least two successful runs to nearby British islands in 1861 carrying large cargoes, On 19 February 1862, while trying to escape from Pass a' I'Outre in the Gulf of Mexico with a large cargo of cot-ton and rosin, in a very dense fog, she was captured by Union ships Brooklyn and South Carolina. After her capture, Magnolia was sent to Key West, Ila., where she was evaluated and condemned. She was pur chased 9 April 1862 at New York, N.Y., by the Navy Department from the Key West Prize Court. After repairs, she commissioned at New York 22 July 1862, Lt. William Budd in command. The sidewheel steamer departed New York 26 July 1862 to take station near Key West as part of the Union blockade. En route on the 31st, she captured British steamer Memphis near Cape Romain, S.C., bound ostensibly from Nassau to Liverpool. Search produced papers revealing that she had actually departed Charleston, S.C., the previous night with a cargo of cotton and rosin. Aided by South Carolina, Magnolia convoyed her prize to New York, arriving 3 August. After repairs, she sailed again for Key West. Operating off the coast of Florida with the Eastern Gulf Blockading Squadron, Magnolia took British schooner Carmita 27 December, and 2 days later seized a second blockade runner, British sloop Flying Fish, off Tortugas. By mid-January 1863, repeated boiler problems slowed down Magnolia's activities on blockade, and 15 July she sailed for New York for extensive repairs. Magnolia sailed to rejoin the Eastern Gulf Blockading Squadron 25 April 1864, and patrolled off the Bahama Banks. On 10 September, she captured steamer Matagorda with a load of cotton, carrying no papers and flying no colors. She remained on blockade in these waters until February 1865, when she shifted to Apalachee Bay to blockade St. Marks, Fla. Magnolia put into Key West 15 March, and spent her last war days ferrying supplies to the ships maintaining the blockade. Magnolia decommissioned at New York 10 June 1865 and was sold at public auction to N. L. & G. Griswold 12 July 1865. Redocumented 23 August 1865, Magnolia served briefly as a merchantman and was abandoned in 1866.