John M. Deane
Encyclopedia
John Milton Deane was an American Civil War
Medal of Honor
recipient and a major
in the United States Army
.
to John and Lydia (Andros) Deane. He attended local schools in Assonet and Myricks
, and later at the Foxboro
English and Classical School. After completing his own schooling, Deane served as a schoolteacher in Berkley and Assonet. Deane enlisted in the Assonet Light Infantry in September, 1858.
On November 20, 1866, Deane married Mary Gray Pearce (1846–1923). She was the daughter of Abner Tompkins and Sarah Read (Briggs) Pearce. He was elected a resident member of the Old Colony Historical Society
in 1902. On September 2, 1914, John Deane died at the age of 74. He is buried in the Assonet Burying Ground
.
In 1989, a ceremony was held in the Assonet Burying Ground during which a government marker was placed on Deane's grave. In 2005, Deane's diaries from the period 1861-1865 were published by the Freetown
Historical Society as Civil War Diaries of Maj. John M. Deane, Medal of Honor Winner, 1861-1865.
, Virginia
, March 25, 1865, in serving with other volunteers, a previously silenced and abandoned gun, mounted en barbette, at Fort Haskell, being exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's sharpshooters."
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient and a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Biography
Deane was born in Assonet, MassachusettsAssonet, Massachusetts
Assonet is one of two villages in the town of Freetown, Massachusetts in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. An original part of the town, Assonet was settled in 1659 along with the city of Fall River, then a part of Freetown. It rests on the banks of the Assonet River...
to John and Lydia (Andros) Deane. He attended local schools in Assonet and Myricks
Berkley, Massachusetts
Berkley is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated town in the county.-Geography:...
, and later at the Foxboro
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
English and Classical School. After completing his own schooling, Deane served as a schoolteacher in Berkley and Assonet. Deane enlisted in the Assonet Light Infantry in September, 1858.
On November 20, 1866, Deane married Mary Gray Pearce (1846–1923). She was the daughter of Abner Tompkins and Sarah Read (Briggs) Pearce. He was elected a resident member of the Old Colony Historical Society
Old Colony Historical Society
The Old Colony Historical Society is located at 66 Church Green in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, USA.Since 1926, the Society has occupied the historic former Bristol Academy school building...
in 1902. On September 2, 1914, John Deane died at the age of 74. He is buried in the Assonet Burying Ground
Assonet Burying Ground
The Assonet Burying Ground is the main public cemetery for Freetown, Massachusetts.Prior to becoming a cemetery, the land occupied by the Assonet Burying Ground was used as a military musterfield for the southeastern Massachusetts area...
.
In 1989, a ceremony was held in the Assonet Burying Ground during which a government marker was placed on Deane's grave. In 2005, Deane's diaries from the period 1861-1865 were published by the Freetown
Freetown, Massachusetts
Freetown is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,870 at the 2010 census.Freetown is one of the oldest communities in the United States, having been settled by the Pilgrims and their descendants in the latter half of the 17th century. The town once included...
Historical Society as Civil War Diaries of Maj. John M. Deane, Medal of Honor Winner, 1861-1865.
Medal of Honor citation
In a letter dated March 8, 1895, Col. W. F. Ainsworth informed Deane that he had been awarded the Medal of Honor "for most distinguished gallantry in action at Fort SteadmanBattle of Fort Stedman
The Battle of Fort Stedman was fought on March 25, 1865, during the final days of the American Civil War. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked in a pre-dawn Confederate assault by troops led by Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon. The attack was the last...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, March 25, 1865, in serving with other volunteers, a previously silenced and abandoned gun, mounted en barbette, at Fort Haskell, being exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's sharpshooters."
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: A–F