JONES – A Civil War Medal of Honor recipient was discovered buried in the Poe Cemetery in Newberg Township.

A new head stone acknowledging this person was provided by the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States.  (http://sites.google.com/site/mohhsus/)

This stone will be dedicated Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. at Poe Cemetery, intersection of Patterson Road and Born Street, about a mile northwest of M-60 and M-60.

Marcellus VFW will provide the ceremony.

According to the Medal of Honor records:

BOURNE, THOMAS

Rank and organization: seaman and gun captain, U.S. Navy.

Entered service at: New York, N.Y.

Birth: England. G.O. No.: 11, 3 April 1863.

Citation: Served as captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Varuna during an attack on Forts Jackson and St. Philip and while under fire and ramming by the rebel ship Morgan, 24 April 1862.

During this action at extremely close range while his ship was under furious fire and was twice rammed by the rebel ship Morgan, Bourne remained steadfast at his gun and was instrumental in inflicting damage on the enemy until the Varuna, badly damaged and forced to beach, was finally sunk.