DOB/DOD: 1837 * (Middletown, CT) – December 15, 1911 (Cheyenne, WY); 74 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Margaret “Maggie” Berry (1850-1924).
CHILDREN: Three sons, John (1875-1961), Thomas (1880-1894), and Steven (1882-1957). Two daughters, Alice Harding Skinner (1877-1966) and Maggie M. (1882-1910).
* The exact Date of Birth is unknown.
FAMILY: Parent and sibling information is unknown.
MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING: Civil War
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Navy
ASSIGNED TO: U.S.S. Dacotah
GENERAL ORDERS: War Department, General Orders No. 45 (December 31, 1864)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain of the Forecastle Thomas Harding, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action, serving as Captain of the Forecastle on board the U.S.S. Dacotah on the occasion of the destruction of the blockade runner Pevensey, near Beaufort, North Carolina, 9 June 1864. Learning that one of the officers in the boat, which was in danger of being, and subsequently was, swamped, could not swim, Captain of the Forecastle Harding remarked to him: “If we are swamped, sir, I shall carry you to the beach, or I will never go there myself.'” He did not succeed in carrying out his promise but made desperate efforts to do so, while others thought only of themselves. Such conduct is worthy of appreciation and admiration–a sailor risking his own life to save that of an officer.
Photos of Thomas Harding’s Medal of Honor contributed by Kristie DaFoe, Associate Registrar for Acquisitions, Curator Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command.
The inscription reads, “Personal Valor; Thomas Harding; Captain of Forecastle; U.S.S. Dacotah; Wreck of the Pevensey; June 9, 1864
From the Laramie Boomerang July 22, 2017
In today’s society, most 16-year-olds are buying their first car, working their first job, or adjusting to high school, but in 1864, 16-year-old Thomas Harding Sr. was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Born in Connecticut, Harding was buried in Laramie in 1911.
However, for more than a century, his simple gravestone in Greenhill Cemetery sat bereft of any indication of the valorous commendation he earned in service to his country.
“Mr. Harding was a Union Navy Sailor in the American Civil War, who received the U.S. military’s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for attempting to save an officer from drowning,” American Legion Post No. 14 member E.J. McDonald said. “It’s never too late to honor courage.”
After the boiler on a nearby ship exploded on June 9, 1864, off the North Carolina coast, McDonald said Harding and other crew members of the U.S.S. Dacotah used a small boat to try to retrieve some of the destroyed ship’s cargo and personnel.
“The small boat started to take on water and sink,” he said. “Captain of the Forecastle Harding tried to help acting Master’s Mate Jarvis G. Farrar, who could not swim but was unsuccessful, and Farrar drowned.”
In the attempt, McDonald said Harding remarked, “If we are swamped, sir, I shall carry you to the beach, or I will never go there myself.”
Although Harding failed to keep his promise, McDonald said his official award citation states he made desperate attempts to save the officer “while others thought only of themselves.”
Harding was awarded the Medal of Honor six months later.
An obituary in the Laramie Republican states Harding was a lamplighter for the Union Pacific Railroad in Cheyenne when he died in 1911.
McDonald said the American Legion Post No. 14 was notified of Harding’s story in late 2016 by the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States.
The society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching, preserving, and documenting the individuals who have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
“At the time, I was a member of the (American Legion Post No. 14 Board of Trustees), and I kind of just took over the event,” McDonald said. “It took some time to research the group that informed us and dig up what we could about Harding.”
Once McDonald validated the society’s information and found Harding’s grave, he said he went to the other veterans groups in town for help putting together the ceremony.
“I think most of the ceremonies outside of the day-to-day stuff is a collaborative effort among the veteran community,” he said. “Things like this are really important.”
After visiting Montgomery-Stryker Funeral Home to order the Medal of Honor marker now accompanying Harding’s grave, McDonald said he was struck by John Montgomery’s generosity.
“When I asked him how much the bill was, he said, ‘Don’t even worry about it. It’s just the right thing to do,’” McDonald said.
With the grave marked, he said the site will be honored with a flag and a token each Memorial Day.
“Veterans here are proud,” said Karl Lankford, a Vietnam War veteran and Albany County resident. “Being a part of this is an honor for all the veterans in the community.”
Buried in Greenhill Cemetery, 455 N 15th Street, Laramie, Wyoming; Row K, Lot 84, Space 1. Photo from FindAGrave.com.
END