Thomas Lyons

Who was Thomas Lyons?

Thomas Lyons was a sailor in the United States Navy and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the American Civil War.

Lyons was born sometime in 1838 in Salem, Massachusetts. On April 24, 1862 he was on board USS Pensacola during the attack on Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. Lashed outside of that vessel, on the port-sheet chain, with the lead in hand to lead the ship past the forts, Lyons never flinched, although under a heavy fire from the forts and Confederate gunboats. His actions earned the Medal of Honor.