John Rountry

Rountry was born in 1843. He died on 3 October 1901 in New York City, New York, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.^[1][4]

Rountry served on the USS Montauk during the war. On the night of 21 September, a fire was discovered in the magazine storage of the ship, leading to panic among the crew members. Rountry forced his way through the crowd and was able to put out the fire.^[2][3]

Rountry's Medal of Honor citation reads:^[2]

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Fireman First Class John Rountry, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism while serving as First Class Fireman on board the U.S.S. Montauk, 21 September 1864, at Port Royal, South Carolina. During the night of 21 September when fire was discovered in the magazine lightroom of that vessel, causing a panic and demoralizing the crew, Rountry, notwithstanding the cry of "fire in the magazine," forced his way with hose in hand, through the frightened crowd to the lightroom and put out the flames.

— E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War