The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal Miles M. Oviatt, United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in action on board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked the deck, Corporal Oviatt fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious two-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee.