George Parks (Medal of Honor)

George Parks
Civil War era Navy Medal of Honor
Born	(1824-06-16)June 16, 1824 Schenectady County, New York
Died	December 6, 1870(1870-12-06) (aged 46) Portsmouth, Virginia
Place of burial	Union Cemetery Mellenville, New York
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service / branch	United States Navy Union Navy
Rank	Captain of the Forecastle
Unit	USS Richmond
Battles / wars	American Civil War  • Battle of Mobile Bay
Awards	Medal of Honor

George Parks (June 16, 1824 – December 6, 1870) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Born in 1824 in Schenectady County, New York, Parks was still living in that state when he joined the Navy. He served during the Civil War as a captain of the forecastle on the USS Richmond. At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, he "performed his duties with skill and courage" despite heavy fire. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on December 31, 1864.^[1][2]

Rank and organization: Captain of the Forecastle, U.S. Navy. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864.

Parks's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Richmond during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Parks performed his duties with skill and courage throughout a furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.^[2]

• George Parks at Find a Grave