John Taylor

John Taylor was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Biography Taylor served in the U.S. Navy as a seaman stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. On September 9, 1865, he was in charge of the Navy Yard's picket boat as it patrolled the East River with the yard's executive officer, Commander Stephen Decatur Trenchard, on board. When a ferry boat and an English steamer collided, Trenchard ordered Taylor to pull their boat alongside the stricken ferry to render assistance. As Trenchard attempted to step onto the ferry, he lost his footing and fell into the water. Taylor then showed "rare coolness and judgment" as he rescued the officer. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on January 15, 1866.