Jonathan Houghton1

M, #25171

Family:

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Pedigree

Citations

  1. [S425] Mendon MA VRs, p. 324.

Mary Hilton1

F, #25172, b. circa 1825

Family: David Houghton b. c 1822

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1825
MarriageOct 9, 1844Mendon, Worcester Co., MA, USA1
Pedigree

Citations

  1. [S425] Mendon MA VRs, p. 324.

Luther R. Houghton1

M, #25175

Family:

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Pedigree

Citations

  1. [S426] Medway MA VRs, p. 80.

Leonard Houghton1

M, #25176

Family: Ann (?)

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
BirthChester, Windsor Co., VT, USA1
MarriageApr 17, 1849Medway, Norfolk Co., MA, USA1
Pedigree

Citations

  1. [S426] Medway MA VRs, p. 80.

Ann (?)1

F, #25177

Family: Leonard Houghton

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
BirthDublin, Ireland1
MarriageApr 17, 1849Medway, Norfolk Co., MA, USA1
Pedigree

Citations

  1. [S426] Medway MA VRs, p. 80.

George Barber

M, #25180

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth
Pedigree

Martha Barber

F, #25181

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth
Pedigree

Mary Barber

F, #25182

Family: Charles Hillyer

Biography

Marriage
Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birth
Pedigree

Charles Hillyer

M, #25183

Family: Mary Barber

Biography

Marriage
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Pedigree

John Barber

M, #25184, b. 1830, d. 21 April 1832

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth1830
DeathApr 21, 1832
BurialTeeds Corners (Taunton) Cemetery, Leicester, Livingston, NY, USA
Pedigree

Jane Barber

F, #25185, b. 1832, d. 17 September 1843

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth1832
DeathSep 17, 1843
BurialTeeds Corners (Taunton) Cemetery, Leicester, Livingston, NY, USA
Pedigree

Henry William Barber

M, #25186, b. 7 February 1828

Family: Cecilia Ann Dickson b. 27 Sep 1831

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
BirthFeb 7, 1828Livingston, NY, USA
Marriage
Children+4 children
ImmigrationPepin, WI, USA
Pedigree

Cecilia Ann Dickson

F, #25187, b. 27 September 1831

Family: Henry William Barber b. 7 Feb 1828

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
BirthSep 27, 1831Westfield, Chautauqua, NY, USA
Marriage
Children+4 children
Biographydau. of Fayette Dickson and Isabel Rexford
ImmigrationPepin, WI, USA
Pedigree

Edward J. Houghton

M, #25200, b. 1841, d. 16 July 1865

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
NotableY
Birth1841Mobile, AL, USA, age 9 in 1850 census; age 19 in 1860 census; 1843 given in AL Civil War Database2
Occupation1860fisherman
Residence1862Woburn, MA, USA, worked as a mariner3
Milit-BegOct 27, 1864Medal of Honor Citation: "Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1843, Mobile, Ala. Accredited to: Alabama. G.O. No.: 45, 31 October 1864. Citation: Houghton served on board the U.S. Picket Boat No. 1 in action, 27 October 1864, against the Confederate ram Albermarle, which had resisted repeated attacks by our steamers and had kept a large force of vessels employed in watching her. The picket boat, equipped with spar torpedo, succeeded in passing the enemy pickets within 20 yards without being discovered and then made for the Albemarle under a full head of steam. Immediately taken under fire by the ram, the small boat plunged on, jumped the log boom which encircled the target and exploded with its torpedo under the port bow of the ram. The picket boat was destroyed by enemy fire and almost the entire crew taken prisoner or lost."

W. D. Houghton:

Edward J. Houghton
Edward J. Houghton also received his Medal of Honor, G.O. 45, from President Lincoln and he had a thrilling story to accompany it. Edward was born in 1843 in Mobile, Alabama, and served on a U.S. Navy torpedo boat number that was commanded by Lieutenant William B. Cushing. On the night of October 28, 1864, his torpedo boat heroically steamed upriver to Plymouth, North Carolina, to at-tack one the Confederate Navy‘s ironclad ships, the CSS Albermarle.
The Confederate Albemarle was a relatively small iron-clad ram, built at Edwards Ferry, North Carolina. She was commissioned in April 1864 under the command of Com-mander J.W. Cooke, CSN, and almost immediately went into action ramming and sinking Union ships with her iron sheathed hull. Although small in size, the Albemarle proved to be deadly against Union gunboats and threatened the Union‘s control of vital shipping lanes.
On the night of October 27, 1864, Lieutenant William B. Cushing, USN, took the small torpedo boat upriver to Plymouth and attacked the Albemarle at her berth, sinking her with a spar torpedo. In the next painting, you can see Torpedo Boat Number One on the left side of the painting crashing over Albemarle 's protective log barrier or boom to successfully deliver its torpedo against the iron-clad's hull and sink the Albemarle.
Edward Houghton received the nation‘s highest award, on December 31, 1864, and his citation reads as follows:
Houghton served on board the U.S. Picket Boat No. 1 in action, 27 October 1864, against the Confederate ram Albemarle, which had resisted repeated attacks by our steamers and had kept a large force of vessels employed in watching her. The picket boat, equipped with a spar torpedo, succeeded in passing the enemy pickets within 20 yards without being discovered and then made for the Albemarle under a full head of steam. Immediately taken under fire by the ram, the small boat plunged on, jumped the log boom which encircled the target and exploded its torpedo under the port bow of the ram. The picket boat was destroyed by enemy fire and almost the entire crew taken prisoner or lost.4,5
Mil. Serv.Jul, 1865Gosport (Portsmouth), VA, USA, a seaman on board the United States Steamer "Chicopee"
DeathJul 16, 1865Gosport (Portsmouth), VA, USA, was murdered, when 22 years of age; Killed While On Shore Liberty In Norfolk Viginia Of A Stab Wound.6,7
NoteJul 17, 1865Norfolk, Norfolk Co., MA, USA, The Norfolk Post Monday 7/17/1865
Local Intelligence
MURDER -- Yesterday afternoon, about four p.m., a fracus occurred near the Navy Yard gate in Gosport [Portsmouth] which resulted int he death of EDWARD HOWDEN, seaman on board the United State Steamer "Chicopee" and the wounding of several others. The perpetrator of this crime is a seaman on board of one of the government tugs, laying off the Navy Yard. He was immediately arrested by police officer Williamson, of Portsmouth, and confined in the
county jail. We were unable to get his name.

Norfolk Post 7/18/1865
Local Intelligence (column name)
The Gosport Murder -- We visited Portsmouth yesterday, with a hope of getting the full particulars in regard to the murder of Edward Howden, on Sunday last, near the Navy Yard gate, in Portsmouth. Upon inquiry at the Mayor's Office for the facts of the case, we were unable to learn more than the name of ther person charged with the crime, and confined in jail, by officer Williamson, who made the arrest. From this officer we learn that the man arrested for the murder of Howden is named Henry Smith, who is a seaman on board the Government wrecking tug Jane Sands. It appears from the best information that we are able to gain, that the affair of Sunday was a general row, in which a number of sailors were engaged; clubs, brickbats and knives were indiscriminately used.

After Howden was stabbed, the guard from the Navy Yard came out and made a number of arrests. The body of Howden was taken into the Navy Yard by one of his shipmates, and the row quelled by the Marine guard. Howden is said to bave been a good sailor, and was the man who made his escape with Lieut. Cushman, at Plymouth, after blowing up (or rather sending down) the Ram "Albemarele."
The facts in the case will no doubt come out upon the investigation of the sad affair. We therefore refrain from making any comments in the premises until fully justified by the evidence and attestation of facts set forth. At present we are unable to inform the public whether Smith will be examined before a Military Commission or turned over to the civil authorities.
The body of Howden is in the hands of his shipmates, who will follow his remains to that bourne from whence none return," with sad and sorrowing hearts at the untimely taking off of their cherished shipmate, in the prime and vigor of his manhood.

Norfolk Post 7/18/1865 Local Intelligence (column name)
The Gosport Murder -- We visited Portsmouth yesterday, with a hope of getting the full particulars in regard to the murder of Edward Howden, on Sunday last, near the Navy Yard gate, in Portsmouth. Upon inquiry at the Mayor's Office for the facts of the case, we were unable to learn more than the name of ther person charged with the crime, and confined in jail, by officer Williamson, who made the arrest. From this officer we learn that the man arrested for the murder of Howden is named Henry Smith, who is a seaman on board the Government wrecking tug Jane Sands. It appears from the best information that we are able to gain, that the affair of Sunday was a general row, in which a number of sailors were engaged; clubs, brickbats and knives were indiscriminately used.

After Howden was stabbed, the guard from the Navy Yard came out and made a number of arrests. The body of Howden was taken into the Navy Yard by one of his shipmates, and the row quelled by the Marine guard. Howden is said to bave been a good sailor, and was the man who made his escape with Lieut. Cushman, at Plymouth, after blowing up (or rather sending down) the Ram "Albemarele."

The facts in the case will no doubt come out upon the investigation of the sad affair. We therefore refrain from making any comments in the premises until fully justified by the evidence and attestation of facts set forth. At present we are unable to inform the public whether Smith will be examined before a Military Commission or turned over to the civil authorities.

The body of Howden is in the hands of his shipmates, who will follow his remains to that bourne from whence none return," with sad and sorrowing hearts at the untimely taking off of their cherished shipmate, in the prime and vigor of his manhood.

Norfolk Post 7/21/1865
Local Intelligence.
Mayors Court, Portsmouth -- Justice Tucker, presiding.
This Court was engaged yesterday in examining the case of Henry Smith, for the murder of Edward J. Houghton on Sunday, the 16th inst., in Gosport. It appears from the evidence adduced before the Court, that on Sunday last, about 1 p.m., the deceased, with a number of his shipmates, came on shore from the U. S. Steamer "Chicopee." The deceased, with several others, stepped into Conner's Saloon, in Bush Row, near the Navy Yard gate, where they met James Williams, (col'd.), [colored] Captain's steward of the "Chicopee." Williams and Houghton having been old shipmates on board the ram "Albermarle," got into a dispute about something which occurred between them on board that vessel. Smith, the accused, and a person with him, took offence at Houghton for disputing with the negro, and the companion of Smith made the remark, "knock the damn nigger down. What the h--l's the use of talking to him," and at the same time striking Williams, the steward, in the mouth, splitting his lip. Here Smith, the accused, and Houghton, the deceased, mutually interceded and stopped the fuss. A short time after leaving the house Houghton fell in with a number of his shipmates and went to Portsmouth with them -- Smith, the deceased, and his friends remaining behind. About 5:30 p.m., Houghton and his shipmates, about twelve in number, on their way aboard ship, fell in with Smith, and his companion near Gallilee's corner, when the old fuss of the morning must have been renewed, as it appears in evidence that a fight arose between Smith, the accused, and William Smith, coxswain of the 1st cutter of the "Chicopee," a friend and old shipmate of Houghton's, the deceased. The row became general, and Houghton, while endeavoring to part the two Smiths, was stabbed -- the weapon used being a common sheath-knife, usually worn by sailors. After Houghton was stabbed his shipmates became infuriated, and set upon Smith with bricks and stones, and no doubt would have killed him, had not some citizens interfered and rescued him by pushing him in the door of a house close at hand, and barring it. At this stage of affairs, a police officer (Williams) came up and, with several citizens, secured the accused and conducted him to jail.

The deceased, Houghton, was in his 22d year, and was from East Boston, Massachusetts. His character on board ship was unexceptionable, and he was a general favorite among his shipmates. He originally entered the service as a private in the 39th Massachusetts Regiment, and in May, 1864, was transferred to the Navy, where he served with honor to himself and credit to his friends, and, as before stated, was with Lieut. Cushman, on his expedition to Plymouth, which resulted in sinking the "Albemarle." His term of service had expired, and he would have received an honorable discharge on the next day (Monday), 17th instant.

Henry Smith, the accused, is in his 23d year, and was born in Quebec, Canada, of Irish parents, a sailor by profession, and at the time of the unfortunate occurrence, attached to the "Jane Sands," Government wrecking tug. Smith is about five feet six inches high, wiry form, trim built, red-headed, and weighs about one hundred and fifty pounds, with a keen eye and a countenance which indicates more than usual determination of character and animal courage. We visited him in jail, and he expresses his regret at the sad affair, but asserts he done it in self defence. Smith's term of service expires this week, and he expresses a hope that he will be able to vindicate himself when the case comes up for final trial. The Court remanded the accused for further examination before the Hustings Court, the first Tuesday in August.

Norfolk Post Aug. 7th, 1865
Hustings Court, City of Portsmouth - The case of the Commonwealth vs. Henry Smith, charged with the murder of Edward Haughton, was called, but upon motion of the Commonwealth's Attorney, the case was continued until the next term of the Court, in consequence of the absence of important witnesses in behalf of the Commonwealth, which are absent on board the U.S. steamer "Chicopee."
Obituaryin Norfolk, and had been brought North as a valued relic. The legend this two-inch piece of decaying plank bore was:
Edward J. Houghton
Seaman, U. S. Steamer Chicopee, Killed July 10, 1865. Recipient of a medal of honor.
The final words of the inscription have reference to the episode of the destruction of the Confederate ram Albemarle, which was thus recognized by the United States Congress.
BurialOct 19, 1890Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline, Norfolk Co., MA, USA, after being buried in a naval cemetery.6
NoteDr Richard Houghton at one point actually had possession of Edward J. Houghton’s congressional Medal of Honor. The story I heard from my father is that Dr. Richard Houghton had inherited both the medal and letter from someone. When Dr. Houghton died, the Houghtons asked his widow, Mary, if she would return those items to them. Mary agreed to give them the medal but she kept the letter. Since she and her husband had no children of their own, it eventually ended up with my father.
Navy document of Medal of Honor came from a grand daughter Kathy Leary who’s grandmother was raised by Dr Richard Houghton and his wife Mary Duane. Not sure of timing, but when Richard died in 1935 it appears that surviving bloodline Houghton’s asked for the medal back. Not many bloodline descendants left after this period. I suspect medal went to Mary T. Houghton, a first cousin to Andy Houghton, she lived in Ashmont and died in 1941. My other guess would be Arthur Houghton who married the actress and lived in California. Arthur died in 1972 in Los Angeles, he was almost 100 years old.
BiographyEdward J Houghton
A Man of Mystery Uncovered
By Eric Williams, 2022

Born: Mobile Alabama, in 1841/1842 to immigrant Irish parents1.
Intro Family: Edward was the son of Richard Houghton and Catherine Kelley and is the only son born in Alabama. His parents are from Donegal Ireland and were born in 1808 and 1810 respectively. They were married in Boston in calendar year 18402.
Richard and Catherine had six children (all boys) together. Edward was the only son born in the Deep South. His brothers Andrew, Richard, Thomas, Michael and Charles were all born in East Boston, Massachusetts during the 1840's3
Richard Houghton and his wife had immediate family in the Boston area. Several brothers and sisters lived in the North End of Boston, a known area of Irish settlers4. Houghton's immediate family was on American soil as early as 1836 long before the Irish potato famine5.
Raised in the North: Richard raised his family in East Boston, which in the mid nineteenth century required a short ferry ride from Boston proper to the small islands in the main harbor. The family lived at 60 Cottage Street on Noodles Island6.
Records show the family at this location from 1850 to 1868. Both parents succumbed to Phthisis (tuberculosis)7. Edward's father died in Feb 1860 and his mother in Aug 1856. The boys continued to live at this address with their stepmother Bridget8.
East Boston is comprised of five islands that were backfilled with land fill to form better livable areas, and to support piers, docks and shipyards9. Much of East Boston was owned by William Sumner and underwent much land development during the mid-1800s. The five islands were formed into a peninsula that jets out into Boston Harbor.
Occupation: Edward and his brother Andrew worked the docks and were reported as fishermen in I86010. Andrew is reported to have been out to sea when the Civil War started. Having seamen experience, both served in the Navy during the Civil War. Edward did double duty and served in the Army as well.

Civil War: Edward enlisted in Woburn, Ma during President Lincoln’s second call for 300 thousand soldiers in 1862. He enlisted on July 25,1862 and was mustered into the 39th Mass Infantry, Company K on September 23, 1862, as a private11.
He saw combat in defending Washington D.C. and the Potomac River area among many other battles121. Edward mustered out of infantry service on April 22,1864.
Shortly after, Edward re-entered military duty in the Navy on May 4. 1864. His rank at this time was ordinary seaman and his term of term of service was one and half years (18 months). Edward served on the USS North Carolina and USS Chicopee. Edward was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallant bravery displayed while service in the Navy13.
Two of Edward's brothers also served distinguishably in the Great Rebellion. Andrew served in the Navy aboard the USS Kearsarge as an ordinary sailor. Richard served in the infantry of the Massachusetts 22nd Company I. He was listed as a bugle boy and drummer14. Richard entered the service at 16 and was injured in the battle of Gainesville in 1863.
Another relative, Uncle Edward Houghton born 1816 died 1890 served in the 28th Mass Vol infantry. He was wounded in September 17,1862 at the battle of Antietam.14
Medal: Edward Houghton and a crew of 15 men led by Lieut. Cushman, on October 27, 1864, volunteered to move up the Roanoke River to Plymouth North Carolina in a steam powered 45-foot-long picked boat armed with a twelve-pound muzzled load cannon and a spar torpedo (bomb attached to long pole) to sink the confederate iron clad ship CSS Albemarle16.
For heroic action taken in this mission, all men killed or survived received the Medal of Honor. Two men escaped this daring assignment, Lt. Cushmen and Edward Houghton swam to safety after their picket boat was destroyed along with the CSS Albemarle. Remaining crew were either captured or killed in military action on this night17.
Death: The Civil War ended in April 1865. Shortly thereafter, Edward Houghton, rank of Able Seamen, was involved in a scuffle with a group of sailors in Portsmouth, VA. The sailors were off duty and went to Connor's saloon on Bush Row, a short distance from the naval yard gate.
Along the way, several sailors started to argue who were from the USS Chicopee and USS tugboat Sandjane anchored in the harbor, the time was approximately 1 pm. A punch was thrown that injured a sailor by the name of James Williams. The men scattered at this time, but later in the afternoon, around 5 pm, met paths again on their way back to the shipyard.

A second fight broke out between Henry Smith and William Smith (not related). William was the coxswain on the USS Chicopee and was friends with Edward Houghton18. The other Smith, Henry was a seaman on the tugboat.
Edward Houghton tried to break up the fight and was stabbed in his sternum by Henry Smith. Edward was mortally wounded by a dirk dagger stab, and his ship mates jumped into the fight enraged that their friend was dying.
The activity was close enough to the Navy yard entrance gate that a military guard came out to break up the melee. Local police officer Williamson arrived and arrested Henry Smith for murder. Edward Houghton died of his stab wound after being dragged into the naval yard July 16,1865. Sadly he was scheduled to be released from military duty the day after his death. The medical examiner stated that his death was the result of blood loss. He estimated that he bled out over the course of 30 minutes19.
Burial: Edward was laid to rest in a Naval Cemetery in Norfolk Virginia. A wooden tombstone was erected in his honor and is now on display in a local museum20. In October 1890, Andy Houghton erected a monument to commemorate his father and brother Edward. Edward was re-interred to Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline Massachusetts. A big parade was held and surviving Civil War soldiers from Company K, 39th Mass Volunteers and sailors from the USS Chicopee attended his burial21. The event was noted in several leading Boston newspapers of the day with reporters present.
The statute is a landmark at Holyhood Cemetery and depicts a man pointing his right hand skyward up to Heaven and in his left hand holding a sea anchor. The statue is approximately thirty feet tall.22
Epilogue: It is unknown if Edward’s accused murderer Henry Smith was ever convicted. The first court hearing in August 1865 was rescheduled due to witnesses not being available. The court's DA asked to have testimony rescheduled. No additional reports were located in the Norfolk Post in this research.
Edward's brothers remained and lived their lives out in the Boston area:
Andy became a well-known and respected police detective. He and his wife ran many boarding houses and fed the needy in the South End of Boston. Andy was highly involved in the USS Kearsarge naval association having the honorary rank of Admiral.
Richard worked for the customs house as an inspector for many years and owned a large house in downtown Boston. Richard's son Arthur married a well-known vaudeville actress Sallie Fisher.
Charles lived his entire life in East Boston as a local barber. Charles ran his barber shop for over forty years on Sumner St., not far from his birth home. Charles' son Richard attended Tufts Medical School and became a local medical doctor in East Boston.
Thomas worked in the school systems as a custodian and lived near Brigham circle with his wife. He and his wife had no children.
Michael died at the young age of four.


1 Birth records lost/destroyed in fire at State Offices in Alabama. Age determined from 1860 U.S. census; age given 19.
2 Mass archives, marriage record
3 U.S. Federal census 18S0 & 1860. Mass census 1855. Mass archives, birth records
4 Family letter from Kate Doherty 1958. Daughter of Catherine T. Houghton.
5 Mass archives, marriage record of Edward Houghton. My G.G. grandfather was younger brother of Richard.
6 Assorted records, death certificates, state census, Boston street listings Mass Archives, death certificates
7 After their mother died (Catherine Kelley), Richard remarried in 1858 to Bridget Tyroll. They had two children,
8 Walter b l857 d l878 and Ellen b l859 d l864. Bridget died in 1868, Walter was a minor was then cared for by Brother Charles and Aunt Mary Kelley
9 Wikipedia
10 U.S. Federal census 1860
11 Mass Archives Civil War records
12 Wikipedia 39,th Mass Inf
13 CMOHs.org medal of honor recipients
14 Mass archives. Civil War records (Andy and Richard). Information is on their tombstone in Holyhood Cemetery Boston.
Grave site tomb Cambridge Ma. Also, Kate Doherty letter 1958 reference to her grandfather service.
Civil War records and Wikipedia. See picket boat
17 Civil War records and book written by Lieut. Cushmen
Norfolk Post newspaper and Dr. Charles J. Vella, PhD., Houghton Surname Project, 2022: http://www.charlesjvellaphd.com/HoughtonSurnameProject/g0/p841.htm#i25221
Alabama News, July 22, 2001, by Roy Hoffman. Jeremy Gray managing producer.
20 Public Library Woburn Massachusetts
21 Many newspaper articles were printed in the Boston Post during this period of time
22 Many published photos exist on the internet. See US graves.com.




Edward J. Houghton also received his Medal of Honor, G.O. 45, from President Lincoln and he had a thrilling story to accompany it. Edward was born in 1843 in Mobile, Alabama, and served on a U.S. Navy torpedo boat number that was commanded by Lieutenant William B. Cushing. On the night of October 28, 1864, his torpedo boat heroically steamed upriver to Plymouth, North Carolina, to at-tack one the Confederate Navy‘s ironclad ships, the CSS Albermarle.
The Confederate Albemarle was a relatively small iron-clad ram, built at Edwards Ferry, North Carolina. She was commissioned in April 1864 under the command of Com-mander J.W. Cooke, CSN, and almost immediately went into action ramming and sinking Union ships with her iron sheathed hull. Although small in size, the Albemarle proved to be deadly against Union gunboats and threatened the Union‘s control of vital shipping lanes.
On the night of October 27, 1864, Lieutenant William B. Cushing, USN, took the small torpedo boat upriver to Plymouth and attacked the Albemarle at her berth, sinking her with a spar torpedo. In the next painting, you can see Torpedo Boat Number One on the left side of the painting crashing over Albemarle 's protective log barrier or boom to successfully deliver its torpedo against the iron-clad's hull and sink the Albemarle.
Edward Houghton received the nation‘s highest award, on December 31, 1864, and his citation reads as follows:
Houghton served on board the U.S. Picket Boat No. 1 in action, 27 October 1864, against the Confederate ram Albemarle, which had resisted repeated attacks by our steamers and had kept a large force of vessels employed in watching her. The picket boat, equipped with a spar torpedo, succeeded in passing the enemy pickets within 20 yards without being discovered and then made for the Albemarle under a full head of steam. Immediately taken under fire by the ram, the small boat plunged on, jumped the log boom which encircled the target and exploded its torpedo under the port bow of the ram. The picket boat was destroyed by enemy fire and almost the entire crew taken prisoner or lost..iiE-mail http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohciv.htm on Aug. 21, 2000.,iiiiWilliam D. Houghton, Houghton Ancestors: A 1,000 Year Historical Adventure. (n.p.: n.pub., 2010), p. 207. Hereinafter cited as Houghton Ancestors:. He was a seaman on board the United States Steamer "Chicopee" on Jul 1865 in Gosport (Portsmouth), VA, USA. He was murdered, when 22 years of age; Killed While On Shore Liberty In Norfolk Viginia Of A Stab Wound. on 16 Jul 1865 at Gosport (Portsmouth), VA, USA.
The Norfolk Post Monday 7/17/1865
Local Intelligence
MURDER -- Yesterday afternoon, about four p.m., a fracus occurred near the Navy Yard gate in Gosport [Portsmouth] which resulted int he death of EDWARD HOWDEN, seaman on board the United State Steamer "Chicopee" and the wounding of several others. The perpetrator of this crime is a seaman on board of one of the government tugs, laying off the Navy Yard. He was immediately arrested by police officer Williamson, of Portsmouth, and confined in the
county jail. We were unable to get his name.

Norfolk Post 7/18/1865
Local Intelligence (column name)
The Gosport Murder -- We visited Portsmouth yesterday, with a hope of getting the full particulars in regard to the murder of Edward Howden, on Sunday last, near the Navy Yard gate, in Portsmouth. Upon inquiry at the Mayor's Office for the facts of the case, we were unable to learn more than the name of ther person charged with the crime, and confined in jail, by officer Williamson, who made the arrest. From this officer we learn that the man arrested for the murder of Howden is named Henry Smith, who is a seaman on board the Government wrecking tug Jane Sands. It appears from the best information that we are able to gain, that the affair of Sunday was a general row, in which a number of sailors were engaged; clubs, brickbats and knives were indiscriminately used.

After Howden was stabbed, the guard from the Navy Yard came out and made a number of arrests. The body of Howden was taken into the Navy Yard by one of his shipmates, and the row quelled by the Marine guard. Howden is said to bave been a good sailor, and was the man who made his escape with Lieut. Cushman, at Plymouth, after blowing up (or rather sending down) the Ram "Albemarele."
The facts in the case will no doubt come out upon the investigation of the sad affair. We therefore refrain from making any comments in the premises until fully justified by the evidence and attestation of facts set forth. At present we are unable to inform the public whether Smith will be examined before a Military Commission or turned over to the civil authorities.
The body of Howden is in the hands of his shipmates, who will follow his remains to that bourne from whence none return," with sad and sorrowing hearts at the untimely taking off of their cherished shipmate, in the prime and vigor of his manhood.

Norfolk Post 7/18/1865 Local Intelligence (column name)
The Gosport Murder -- We visited Portsmouth yesterday, with a hope of getting the full particulars in regard to the murder of Edward Howden, on Sunday last, near the Navy Yard gate, in Portsmouth. Upon inquiry at the Mayor's Office for the facts of the case, we were unable to learn more than the name of ther person charged with the crime, and confined in jail, by officer Williamson, who made the arrest. From this officer we learn that the man arrested for the murder of Howden is named Henry Smith, who is a seaman on board the Government wrecking tug Jane Sands. It appears from the best information that we are able to gain, that the affair of Sunday was a general row, in which a number of sailors were engaged; clubs, brickbats and knives were indiscriminately used.

After Howden was stabbed, the guard from the Navy Yard came out and made a number of arrests. The body of Howden was taken into the Navy Yard by one of his shipmates, and the row quelled by the Marine guard. Howden is said to bave been a good sailor, and was the man who made his escape with Lieut. Cushman, at Plymouth, after blowing up (or rather sending down) the Ram "Albemarele."

The facts in the case will no doubt come out upon the investigation of the sad affair. We therefore refrain from making any comments in the premises until fully justified by the evidence and attestation of facts set forth. At present we are unable to inform the public whether Smith will be examined before a Military Commission or turned over to the civil authorities.

The body of Howden is in the hands of his shipmates, who will follow his remains to that bourne from whence none return," with sad and sorrowing hearts at the untimely taking off of their cherished shipmate, in the prime and vigor of his manhood.

Norfolk Post 7/21/1865
Local Intelligence.
Mayors Court, Portsmouth -- Justice Tucker, presiding.
This Court was engaged yesterday in examining the case of Henry Smith, for the murder of Edward J. Houghton on Sunday, the 16th inst., in Gosport. It appears from the evidence adduced before the Court, that on Sunday last, about 1 p.m., the deceased, with a number of his shipmates, came on shore from the U. S. Steamer "Chicopee." The deceased, with several others, stepped into Conner's Saloon, in Bush Row, near the Navy Yard gate, where they met James Williams, (col'd.), [colored] Captain's steward of the "Chicopee." Williams and Houghton having been old shipmates on board the ram "Albermarle," got into a dispute about something which occurred between them on board that vessel. Smith, the accused, and a person with him, took offence at Houghton for disputing with the negro, and the companion of Smith made the remark, "knock the damn nigger down. What the h--l's the use of talking to him," and at the same time striking Williams, the steward, in the mouth, splitting his lip. Here Smith, the accused, and Houghton, the deceased, mutually interceded and stopped the fuss. A short time after leaving the house Houghton fell in with a number of his shipmates and went to Portsmouth with them -- Smith, the deceased, and his friends remaining behind. About 5:30 p.m., Houghton and his shipmates, about twelve in number, on their way aboard ship, fell in with Smith, and his companion near Gallilee's corner, when the old fuss of the morning must have been renewed, as it appears in evidence that a fight arose between Smith, the accused, and William Smith, coxswain of the 1st cutter of the "Chicopee," a friend and old shipmate of Houghton's, the deceased. The row became general, and Houghton, while endeavoring to part the two Smiths, was stabbed -- the weapon used being a common sheath-knife, usually worn by sailors. After Houghton was stabbed his shipmates became infuriated, and set upon Smith with bricks and stones, and no doubt would have killed him, had not some citizens interfered and rescued him by pushing him in the door of a house close at hand, and barring it. At this stage of affairs, a police officer (Williams) came up and, with several citizens, secured the accused and conducted him to jail.

The deceased, Houghton, was in his 22d year, and was from East Boston, Massachusetts. His character on board ship was unexceptionable, and he was a general favorite among his shipmates. He originally entered the service as a private in the 39th Massachusetts Regiment, and in May, 1864, was transferred to the Navy, where he served with honor to himself and credit to his friends, and, as before stated, was with Lieut. Cushman, on his expedition to Plymouth, which resulted in sinking the "Albemarle." His term of service had expired, and he would have received an honorable discharge on the next day (Monday), 17th instant.

Henry Smith, the accused, is in his 23d year, and was born in Quebec, Canada, of Irish parents, a sailor by profession, and at the time of the unfortunate occurrence, attached to the "Jane Sands," Government wrecking tug. Smith is about five feet six inches high, wiry form, trim built, red-headed, and weighs about one hundred and fifty pounds, with a keen eye and a countenance which indicates more than usual determination of character and animal courage. We visited him in jail, and he expresses his regret at the sad affair, but asserts he done it in self defence. Smith's term of service expires this week, and he expresses a hope that he will be able to vindicate himself when the case comes up for final trial. The Court remanded the accused for further examination before the Hustings Court, the first Tuesday in August.

Norfolk Post Aug. 7th, 1865
Hustings Court, City of Portsmouth - The case of the Commonwealth vs. Henry Smith, charged with the murder of Edward Haughton, was called, but upon motion of the Commonwealth's Attorney, the case was continued until the next term of the Court, in consequence of the absence of important witnesses in behalf of the Commonwealth, which are absent on board the U.S. steamer "Chicopee." on 17 Jul 1865 at Norfolk, MA, USA. He was reinterred on 19 Oct 1890 in at Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline, Norfolk Co., MA, USA, after being buried in a naval cemetery.vvE-mail from Marie Cunningham, Oct. 24, 1999. Research: Medal of Honor Houghtons People by Surname:Houghtons:Medal of Honor People by Given Name:Medal of Honor: Houghtons and Edward J. Houghton People by Surname:Houghton:Edward J. (25246) (circa 1843-16 Jul 1865) People by Given Name:Edward J.:Houghton (25246) (circa 1843-16 Jul 1865)

Biography: Eric Williams: For your database. Interesting read. I am not a expert on civil war, but if you enlist for 3 years in the 39th reg in July 1862 then how can you enlist in the navy in May of 1864? His brother Andy was a navy man; I wonder if this connection helped? Eric Williams:

WALTER BRYANT News staff writer
Civil War sailor Edward J. Houghton was awarded the Medal of Honor more than 100 years ago, but it has long been thought that no photograph of him had survived the march of time - until now.
A photograph of the Alabama native discovered in Massachusetts will soon join an exhibit of Alabama Medal of Honor recipients at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The wall display about 29 warriors with ties to Alabama was created more than 20 years ago. But it has always lacked a photograph of Houghton. Instead, there's been an artist's depiction of the naval action for which he received the nation's highest award for combat valor. It's always been assumed no photo of him existed. Houghton was born in Mobile in 1843, but his family moved to Massachusetts when he was 4 years old. When the Civil War broke out, he initially enlisted in the Union Army from his hometown of Woburn, about 10 miles north of Boston. Later, he transferred to the Union Navy. The Medal of Honor was awarded for his action on Oct. 27, 1864. He was on a small boat that used an explosive charge on a long underwater spar to disable a Confederate ironclad hindering the Union Navy on the Roanoke River near Plymouth, N.C. Their boat was quickly destroyed by Confederate gunfire. ''He and his lieutenant were the only ones to escape,'' said John O'Malley, who along with Marga Griffin-Jones did research leading to the photograph. O'Malley is owner of Strategic Visions Inc., a Birmingham consulting firm. Griffin-Jones is a clinical database manager in the Infectious Disease Division of the UAB School of Medicine. Their nine months of research included searching newspapers, the National Archives in Washington and several archive collections in Massachusetts. The photograph of Houghton was eventually found in the Woburn Public Library. ''We knew a photo existed, and we had to find it,'' Griffin-Jones said of the conviction that motivated their search. The photo shows Houghton, in civilian clothes, with a cigar in his mouth. It was part of a collection of photos of members of his original Union Army unit who were killed in action. VA Medical Center spokesman Jeff Hester said the photo will join others in a wall display in the atrium of a first floor entrance area. He said visitors have asked why there was no photo of Houghton. ''We've always believed that none existed,'' Hester said. ''We are pleased, because this completes the collection.'' Houghton's life ended tragically. A year after his act of valor, he was stabbed to death during a fight while on leave in Norfolk. It was the day before he was scheduled to receive the Medal of Honor. He was 22.

The mystery of Edward J. Houghton, Mobile's Union hero
ROY HOFFMAN
Publication Date: July 22, 2001 The mystery of Edward J. Houghton, Mobile's Union hero
Born in Mobile in 1843, he received the Medal of Honor in 1864 for his valiant service as an ordinary seaman - with the Union Navy. For 136 years, he has lain in a grave far from the land of his birth, a heroic but shadowy figure in history. By ROY HOFFMAN
In Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Mass., a half-hour from downtown Boston, a somber, stone woman towers atop a pedestal, her gown sculpted in folds. In her left hand she holds a sea anchor. Her right hand is raised to heaven. Beneath her rests a family whose surname, "Houghton," is chiseled on the base of the monument. Most of the family members are recalled only by names and the dates that span their lives: Richard, the father, 1808-1880; Catherine, the mother, 1811-1856; several offspring, among them Andrew, 1843-1922, and his wife, Mary, 1851-1915. On one side of the monument, though, a wall of text tells the brief story of another son. It begins: "Brother, Edward J. Houghton, Born Mobile, Alabama." For nearly 140 years, since he lost his life in Norfolk, Va., in 1865, was buried in a Navy graveyard, and reinterred in 1890 at Holyhood, Edward J. Houghton has been a shadowy, indeed almost invisible figure in Mobile history. He might well have been forgotten in Alabama altogether - hardly the subject of a 21st century newspaper profile - if not for the fact that, during his brief time on this earth, he was a hero. In a strange twist of fate, Houghton received the Medal of Honor for valor in the Civil War fighting for the Union Navy. While more than 1,500 Medals of Honor were dispensed during the Civil War to Union heroes - 98 alone in the Battle of Mobile Bay - Houghton's was the only one honoring a soldier or sailor of Alabama, according to official records. Of the 21 Medals of Honor "accredited," in the parlance of the award, to Alabama over the course of six wars, Houghton's, surely, is the oddest, in that it distinguishes a man, in context of his time, who bore arms for the other side. Though long obscured, his name still flickers from his far-off grave. At USS Alabama Memorial Park on the Causeway, in the aircraft pavilion dedicated to Alabama's Medal of Honor recipients, one wall holds portraits of the men with descriptions of their combat feats. On the plaque for Houghton, above a note that says, "no photo available," a generic portrait of a Civil War-era seaman stands in for the Mobile-born sailor - a scowling fellow in a sailor suit. And next month, at a ceremony to rename Mobile's Cottage Hill Park as Medal of Honor Park, a new plaque will memorialize Houghton. The renaming of the park, though, was inspired not by Houghton, but by the valor of John D. New, the Mobile native who received the Medal of Honor for his courage - and ultimate sacrifice at age 19 - during the Pacific engagement, the Battle of Pelilieu, in September 1944 during World War II. The Aug. 12 park ceremony will take place on New's birthday. Houghton is the only other Medal of Honor winner to hail from Mobile, but supporters of the medal park initially were unaware of him. So who was this Civil War mystery man? Was he a traitor to the Confederate cause? A man of conscience? A youth buffeted by fate? A dutiful Yankee whose memories of a Southern boyhood were far behind him by the time he put on Union blue? Hard-won clues, gathered by the Register over the course of many months, begin to trace the arc of Houghton's life, with flashes by turn illuminating and sorrowing along the way. In the Mobile County census records for 1840 there are no listings for Houghton. Similarly, in 1850, Houghton does not appear. In the city directories for those years - the name-by-name listing of residents, with addresses and occupations - no Houghton is present. A request made by the Register to the archives of the Catholic Diocese of Mobile, asking for a search on a baptismal record of one Edward J. Houghton, has, to date, turned up nothing. The state of Alabama did not record birth certificates prior to 1908. Similarly, a search of the Probate Court index for that period shows no property bought or sold by a Houghton, nor a marriage license dispensed to one.
A source book, "Medal of Honor Recipients," compiled by George Lang and Raymond Collins, states that Houghton was born in Mobile in 1843, and lists his place of burial as "Hollywood Cemetery - Brookline, Mass.""Hollywood," as the Register found, turned out to have been a misprint of "Holyhood," the burial site of the Kennedys and other old-line Boston families.
At Holyhood, a cemetery-keeper, Ken Jorgenson, responded immediately when a reporter called one afternoon asking for information on Edward J. Houghton. Jorgenson told the Register that he had often noted a splendid Houghton monument, an unusually grand one for its time period. The Houghton family, he remarked, may have been well off, judging not only by the stone grandeur, but by the underground steel vault that encased the old coffins. He was familiar with Edward Houghton's name, he said, having pondered the story about him on the monument. Jorgenson had found it intriguing that the Medal of Honor recipient was a born Southerner, and had presumed that Houghton died in service to the Union Navy. After going to the monument again, Jorgenson photographed it to send to the Register. The inscription to Mobile native Houghton reads: "Enlisted at Woburn, Mass., in 1862, in Company K, 39th Massachusetts Infantry. Was transferred to the United States Steamer 'Chicopee' in 1863. Volunteered to go with Lt. William Cushing in Picket Boat Number 1, from which they destroyed the Rebel ram Albemarle and escaped. For this deed he received by Act of Congress a Medal of Honor. He was killed in Norfolk, Va. July 16, 1865 when 22 years of age and buried in Naval Cemetery, re-interred here Oct. 19, 1890." Following suggestions of another cemetery-keeper, the Register contacted the New England Historical Genealogical Society in Boston. David Lambert, a researcher there and Civil War expert - indeed, a Civil War re-enactor - took up the search.
Although Lambert found no record of Edward J. Houghton's birth, he did discover information about Houghton's parents, Richard and Catherine, who had died in Massachusetts. "Our records show," he explained, "that they were born in Ireland." Suddenly, the story of Edward J. Houghton took on a new dimension. He was the son of Irish immigrants, newcomers to America. Had they come to port in Mobile in the years just prior to Ireland's Great Potato Famine of 1845, settling among the other Irish newcomers on downtown's south side? Had they stayed with relatives - thus having no given address of their own - while they went about trying to scratch out a living in their exotic new home? The most pressing question of all arises: How long did Edward, born in 1843, live in Mobile? At Holyhood, Jorgenson surmised that not only Edward was born in Mobile, but also his brother, Andrew; in fact, Jorgenson figured that they were twins. Their 1843 birth year - Andrew's noted on the Houghton family grave, and Edward's listed in military records - argues for that possibility. David Lambert, in finding a record of the death of Thomas Houghton, Edward's younger brother, discovered that Thomas had been born in 1847, in Boston. The Houghtons, Lambert guessed, moved to Massachusetts between'43 and '47, perhaps to link up with the teeming Irish Catholic community there. Young Edward would have been only 4 years old, at most. Living in Woburn, Mass., 15 years later with his parents and siblings, Houghton signed up for the 39th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company "K." A listing of this regiment, found on an Internet site for Woburn history, shows that Edward J. Houghton, 19, enlisted on Aug. 22, 1862, and was mustered for service that same day. The Woburn historic information describes Houghton, on the day he enlisted, as a "mariner" by profession, just as other enlistees registered as "shoemaker," "drover," "harness-maker" or "clerk." (At least one book about Medal of Honor recipients notes Alabama as Houghton's place of military enlistment. But that doesn't square with the Register's research. No record has been found to show he enlisted in federal service in Alabama prior to his signing up with the Massachusetts volunteers.) The Civil War took its toll on the sons of Woburn. According to the history, "Brother vs. Brother," also on the Web at www.yeoldewoburn.com, the major battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg all claimed lives of Woburn young men. By the end of 1862, 23 young men had died, and scores more had been wounded. Certainly, Edward J. Houghton would have felt the war fervor. According to "Brother vs. Brother," in summer of 1862, "Woburnites were continuing to answer the call to arms. ... In July of that year the president called upon the states to furnish more troops. In response, a new company from Woburn was formed, with 101 men signing up over the course of a 15-day recruitment drive." The new company was known as the Woburn National Rangers, which would become attached to Company K of the 39th Massachusetts Regiment and suffer heavy casualties in the campaigns of 1864. But Houghton did not stay with Company K through all those campaigns. The "mariner" transferred to the Navy. In a rare-documents room at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the Register found a page of "Enlistments, 1864" at Brooklyn in New York. Among the names listed was this one: "Houghton, Edward J. Enlisted, May 4. Previous Naval Service, None. Transferred Soldier. Age, 21. Occupation, Seaman. Place of Birth, Mobile, Ala." With the rank of ordinary seaman, Houghton was assigned to the USS Chicopee, under the command of Lt. William Cushing. The muster roll for the Chicopee - also in the National Archives - gave this description of Houghton. "Eyes: Hazel. Hair: Brown. Complexion: Dark. Height: 5 feet, 5 inches. Permanent marks or scars: None." In the Washington Star newspaper of Nov. 3, 1864, was a story titled, "Another Brilliant Naval Achievement, The Rebel Ram Albemarle Blown up by our Brave Blue Jackets. The launch sent to do the work sunk by Rebel Shot." The Albemarle was an armor-plated Confederate vessel that had led an attack on Union forces near Plymouth, N.C., in April of that year, sinking one Union ship and forcing three others to withdraw. In May, the Albemarle had been part of an assault on a Union squadron below Plymouth. The Nov. 3 Star story included the contents of a letter to the secretary of the Navy from D.D. Porter, rear admiral commanding an Atlantic squadron: "I sent Lieut. W. B. Cushing on the 27th of October, with Picket Launch No. 1, to blow up the ram Albemarle. He returned to-day and reports to me that he blew up the Albemarle on the morning of the 28th. The destruction was complete. Picket launch No. 1 was destroyed by the enemy's shot, and sunk. One man escaped with Lieut. Cushing. The others were captured." Edward J. Houghton was that one other man who escaped. Cushing later wrote a report for the Navy of the adventure. He said he planned to lead his men through the darkness toward the Confederate ironclad ram Albemarle, stationed at Plymouth on the Roanoke River. The 30-foot steam picket launch was to be fitted with a 14-foot spar and a torpedo, with a howitzer on the bow. The term "torpedo," in this case, referred to an explosive charge mounted at one end of the spar, to be thrust under or against the target. A few nights before the attack, Cushing wrote: "I, for the first time, disclosed to my officers and men our object and told them that they were at liberty to go or not as they pleased. These, seven in number, all volunteered." Before the night of the attack on the Albemarle, seven more men joined his company. Cushing recounted that as they made "for our enemy under a full head of steam," the Confederates responded: "The rebels sprung their rattle, rang the bell, commenced firing, at the same time repeating their hail and seeming much confused. The light of fire ashore showed me the ironclad made fast to the wharf, with a pen of logs around her about 30 feet from her side." Cushing's picket launch crashed into the logs and moved atop them. "The torpedo boom was then lowered and by a vigorous pull I succeeded in diving the torpedo under the overhang and exploding it at the same time that the Albemarle's gun was fired. A shot seemed to go chasing through my boat, and a dense mass of water rushed in ... filling the launch and completely disabling her." With their boat sinking, Cushing and his men tried to make their way to shore. Some were captured, others drowned. Cushing told of his own escape - reaching the shore, clinging to the bank until daybreak, then crawling up through the swamp. He reached a creek and captured a skiff, and made his way back to the Union side. As he wrote: "I desire to call the attention of the admiral and Department to the spirit manifested by the sailors on the ships in these sounds. But few men were wanted, but all hands were eager to go into the action, many offering their chosen shipmates a month's pay to resign in their favor." After signing the letter, he appended it this postscript: "The name of the man who escaped is William Hoftman, seaman, on the Chicopee. He did his duty well, and deserves a medal of honor." Edward J. Houghton would be awarded that medal on Dec. 31, 1864, though his commander, singing his praises to the Navy, evidently got his name wrong. * * * Houghton's story might end there, in a cloud of glory, if not for a lone document discovered by the Register in the National Archives. That document - far from glorious in the drama it tells – is Houghton's death certificate. The surgeon's report: "I hearby certify that Edward J. Houghton who was a Seaman in the United States Navy while attached to the USS Chicopee and holding the rank above mentioned, departed this life on board the USS Chicopee on the Sixteenth day of July in the year 1865; and that he died . . . as set forth in this record as follows: The above named Edward J. Houghton while on shore on liberty, July 18, 1865, got into a drunken row and received a dirk wound which pierced the 'sternum' in its middle third and probably entered the heart producing death in less than half an hour, consequently not in the line of duty. "The above-mentioned Edward J. Houghton, deceased, was born at Mobile, in the State of Alabama, about twenty one years of age; Five feet five and one-half inches high; dark complexion; hazel eyes; brown hair; and entered the United States Naval Service at New York on the Fourth day of May in the year 1864. Transferred from the Army." The nervy 22-year-old had taken a dagger to his heart while he was hot with whiskey, and bled to death in 30 minutes. He had survived combat in a war now over - Robert E. Lee had surrendered in April - only to fall prey to a raucous shore leave. In 1885, Houghton's brothers attempted, according to a document from the U.S. Treasury Department, to claim an insurance "bounty" on him from the Navy. They argued that he had been "murdered at Norfolk, Va., while in the naval service." Another document showed that this claim was still being debated in 1891. The paper trail disappeared at that point. In 1922, Andrew Houghton - Edward's possible twin, thus the other Mobile native - died, but not without providing for the other Houghtons who would lie beneath the somber, stone lady at Holyhood. For the sum of $300 he assured that the cemetery trustees would provide perpetual care for the family plot, decorating the grave yearly on three occasions: the anniversaries of his death, his wife's death and Memorial Day.

ALABAMA HEROES
At the aircraft pavilion at Battleship Memorial Park, a wall of portraits and citations celebrates the heroism of Medal of Honor winners born in Alabama. Of this number, two hailed from Mobile: John D. New, a Marine who lost his life in the Pacific battle of Peleliu, during World War II, and Edward J. Houghton, who fought for the Union Navy in the Civil War. Houghton's actual face is "unknown," a generic picture of an ordinary seaman standing in for his image.

G.M. ANDREWS/Staff Photographer

CUTLINES:
Courtesy of U.S. Navy
In this artist's rendering of late night, Oct. 27, 1864, U.S. Navy Lt. William Cushing heads up a crew aboard U.S. Picket Boat 1 as it approaches the Rebel ironclad Albemarle, running up onto a barricade of protective logs. "The torpedo boom was lowered," Cushing wrote in his report to the Navy, "and by a vigorous pull I succeeded in diving the torpedo under the overhang and exploding it at the same time that the Albemarle's gun was fired." The Confederate Albemarle was sunk, and the Union seamen all drowned or were captured except Cushing and Edward J. Houghton, a native of Mobile. Both men received the Medal of Honor.

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From: Eric Williams
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2015 8:33 PM
To: Jeremy Gray
Subject: Fwd: Ed J. Houghton story 5-21-2014
Hello Mr. Gray,
I came across a story on the Internet by you that pertains to my great-great cousin. I was curious as to where your picture came from? I have that same picture that was part of a poster of all men who served with the Mass 39th volunteers. Your article mentions that Ed J Houghton moved up to Massachusetts when he was four years old. I know that from his tombstone erected by his brother Andy located in Brookline Ma that he was born in Alabama. I have been researching his father (Richard Houghton) and mother (Catherine Kelley) and could not pinpoint when they arrived in America from Ireland. Your reference of four years is intriguing as it suggest some personal bio of Ed. Could you let me know your source of this information? I would appreciate it.
I do have some information on his brothers who also served in the Civil War and at least one Uncle (my great-great grandfather). Let me know if you would like this information.
Eric Williams Note: story ran on May 24, 2014.
Research
Notablewas awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for a Civil War Naval action
ResearchMedal of Honor Recipients, 1863-1978. 1979
Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863-1994. 19958
Pedigree

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Marie Cunningham, Sep. 6, 1999.
  2. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , East Boston (Boston Ward 4), Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_335; Page: 32B; line 19, dwl 332.
  3. [S882] Ancestry.Com, online www.ancestry.com, American Civil War Research Database, 11/1/1999.
  4. [S415] E-mail http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohciv.htm on Aug. 21, 2000.
  5. [S1394] William D. Houghton, Houghton Ancestors:, p. 207.
  6. [S415] E-mail from Marie Cunningham, Oct. 24, 1999.
  7. [S1227] 1860 U.S. Federal Census , Alabama Civil War Service Database, online: http://www.archives.alabama.gov/civilwar/soldier.cfm
  8. [S882] Ancestry.Com, online www.ancestry.com, Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI): Houghton Surname.