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ELIJAH W.
BACON
Rank and organization: Private, Company
F, 14th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 3
July 1863. Entered service at: Berlin, Conn. Birth: Burlington,
Conn. Date of issue: 1 December 1864. Citation: Capture of flag of
16th North Carolina regiment (C.S.A.).
WALLACE A.
BECKWITH
Rank and organization: Private, Company
F, 21st Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg,
Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: New London, Conn. Birth:
New London, Conn. Date of issue: 15 February 1897. Citation:
Gallantly responded to a call for volunteers to man a battery,
serving with great heroism until the termination of the engagement.
ELIJAH A.
BRIGGS
Rank and organization: Corporal,
Company B, 2d Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Place and date: At
Petersburg, Va., 3 April 1865. Entered service at: Salisbury, Conn.
Birth: Salisbury, Conn. Date of issue: 10 May 1865. Citation:
Capture of battle flag.
F.
CLARENCE BUCK
Rank and
organization: Corporal, Company A, 21st Connecticut Infantry. Place
and date: At Chapins Farm, Va., 29 September 1864. Entered service
at: Windsor Conn. Birth: Hartford, Conn. Date of issue: 6 April
1865. Citation: A; though wounded, refused to leave the field until
the fight closed.
DANIEL
W. BURKE
Rank and
organization: First Sergeant, Company B, 2d U.S. Infantry. Place and
date: At Shepherdstown Ford, Va., 20 September 1862. Entered service
at: Connecticut. Birth: New Haven, Conn. Date of issue 21 April
1892. Citation: Voluntarily attempted to spike a gun in the face of
the enemy.
GEORGE
W. CORLISS
Rank and
organization: Captain, Company C, 5th Connecticut Infantry. Place
and date: At Cedar Mountain, Va., 9 August 1862. Entered service at:
New Haven, Conn. Birth: ------. Date ·S issue: 10 September 1897.
Citation: Seized a fallen flag of the regiment, the color bearer
having been killed, carried it forward in the face of a severe fire,
and though himself shot down and permanently disabled, planted the
staff in the earth and kept the flag flying.
JOHN C.
CURTIS
Rank and
organization: Sergeant Major, 9th Connecticut Infantry. Place and
date: At Baton Rouge, La., 5 August 1862. Entered service at:
Bridgeport, Conn. Birth: Bridgeport, Conn. Date of issue: 16
December 1896. Citation: Voluntarily sought the line of battle and
alone and unaided captured 2 prisoners, driving them before him to
regimental headquarters at the point of the bayonet.
LORENZO
DENNING
Rank and
organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1843, Connecticut. Entered
service at: New York, N.Y. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation:
Denning served on board the U.S. Picket Boat No. 1 in action, 27
October 1864, against the Confederate ram Albemarle which had
resisted repeated attacks by our steamers and had kept a large force
of vessels employed in watching her. The picket boat, equipped with
a spar torpedo, succeeded in passing the enemy pickets within 20
yards without being discovered and then made for the Albemarle under
a full head of steam. Immediately taken under fire by the ram, the
small boat plunged on, jumped the log boom which encircled the
target and exploded its torpedo under the port bow of the ram. The
picket boat was destroyed by enemy fire and almost the entire crew
taken prisoner or lost.
CHRISTIAN FLEETWOOD
Sergeant Major
Christian Fleetwood was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions
with the 4th USCT in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in Virginia.
Fleetwood took up the regimental colors after 11 other USCT soldiers
had been shot down while carrying them forward. Many USCT soldiers
won some of the nation's highest awards. Sergeant William Harvey
Carney of the 54th Massachusetts was another African American Medal
of Honor recipient.
Dudley Taylor Cornish, The Sable Arm: Negro
Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (1956; New York: W.W.
Norton, 1965).
James M. McPherson,
The Negro's Civil War: How American Negroes Felt and Acted During
the War for the Union (New York: Pantheon Books, 1965).
CHRISTOPHER
FLYNN
Rank and organization:
Corporal, Company K, 14th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863. Entered service at: Sprague, Conn.
Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 1 December 1864. Citation: Capture of
flag of 52d North Carolina Infantry (C.S.A.).
NICHOLAS
FOX
Rank and organization:
Private, Company H, 28th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Port Hudson, La., 14 June 1863. Entered service at: Greenwich, Conn.
Birth: ------. Date of issue: 1 April 1898. Citation: Made 2 trips
across an open space, in the face of the enemy's concentrated fire,
and secured water for the sick and wounded.
WESLEY
GIBBS
Rank and organization:
Sergeant, Company B, 2d Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Place and date:
At Petersburg, Va., 2 April 1865. Entered service at: Salisbury,
Conn. Birth: Sharon, Conn. Date of issue: 10 May 1865. Citation:
Capture of flag.
ROBERT A.
GRAY
Rank and organization:
Sergeant, Company C, 21st Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Drurys Bluff, Va., 16 May 1864. Entered service at: Groton, Conn.
Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 13 July 1897. Citation:
While retreating with his regiment, which had been repulsed, he
voluntarily returned, in face of the enemy's fire, to a former
position and rescued a wounded officer of his company who was unable
to walk.
THOMAS
HARDING
Rank and organization:
Captain of the Forecastle, U.S. Navy. Born: 1837, Middletown, Conn.
Accredited to: Connecticut. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864.
Citation: Served as captain of the forecastle on board the U.S.S.
Dacotah on the occasion of the destruction of the blockade runner
Pevensey, near Beauford, N.C., 9 June 1864. "Learning that one of
the officers in the boat, which was in danger of being, and
subsequently was, swamped, could not swim, Harding remarked to him:
'If we are swamped, sir, I shall carry you to the beach or I will
never go there myself.' He did not succeed in carrying out his
promise, but made desperate efforts to do so, while others thought
only of themselves. Such conduct is worthy of appreciation and
admiration--a sailor risking his own life to save that of an
officer."
NATHAN E.
HICKOK
Rank and organization:
Corporal, Company A, 8th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Chapins Farm, Va., 29 September 1864. Entered service at: Danbury,
Conn. Birth: Danbury, Conn. Date of issue: 6 April 1865. Citation:
Capture of flag.
WILLIAM B.
HINCKS
Rank and organization:
Sergeant Major, 14th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863. Entered service at: Bridgeport, Conn.
Birth: Bucksport, Me. Date of issue: 1 December 1864. Citation:
During the highwater mark of Pickett's charge on 3 July 1863 the
colors of the 14th Tenn. Inf. C.S.A. were planted 50 yards in front
of the center of Sgt. Maj. Hincks' regiment. There were no
Confederates standing near it but several were Iying down around it.
Upon a call for volunteers by Maj. Ellis, commanding, to capture
this flag, this soldier and 2 others leaped the wall. One companion was instantly shot. Sgt. Maj. Hincks outran his
remaining companion running straight and swift for the colors amid a
storm of shot. Swinging his saber over the prostrate Confederates
and uttering a terrific yell, he seized the flag and hastily
returned to his lines. The 14th Tenn. carried 12 battle honors on
its flag. The devotion to duty shown by Sgt. Maj. Hlncks gave
encouragement to many of his comrades at a crucial moment of the
battle.
SAMUEL B.
HORNE
Rank and organization:
Captain, Company H, 11th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Fort Harrison, Va., 29 September 1864. Entered service at: Winsted,
Conn. Born: 3 March 1843, Ireland Date of issue: 19 November 1897.
Citation: While acting as an aide and carrying an important message,
was severely wounded and his horse killed but delivered the order
and rejoined his general.
WILLIAM S.
HUBBELL
Rank and organization:
Captain, Company A, 21st Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At
Fort Harrison, Va., 30 September 1864. Entered service at: North
Stonington, Conn. Born: 19 April 1837, Wolcottville, Conn. Date of
issue: 13 June 1894. Citation: Led out a small flanking party and by
a clash and at great risk captured a large number of
prisoners.
FREDERICK
R. JACKSON
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company F,
7th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At James Island, S.C., 16
June 1862. Entered service at: New Haven, Conn. Birth: New Haven,
Conn. Date of issue: 1863. Citation: Having his left arm shot away
in a charge on the enemy, he continued on duty, taking part in a
second and a third charge until he fell exhausted from the loss of
blood.
[Contributed by Dena W.]
AARON S.
LANFARE
Rank and organization: First
Lieutenant, Company B, 1st Connecticut Cavalry. Place and date: At
Sailors Creek, Va., 6 April 1865. Entered service at: Branford,
Conn. Birth: Branford, Conn. Date of issue: 3 May 1865. Citation:
Capture of flag of 11th Florida Infantry (C.S.A.).
CHARLES H.
MARSH
Rank and organization:
Private, Company D, 1st Connecticut Cavalry. Place and date: At Back
Creek Valley, Va., 31 July 1864. Entered service at: New Milford,
Conn.. Birth: Milford, Conn. Date of issue: 23 January 1865.
Citation: Capture of flag and its bearer.
GEORGE E.
McDONALD
Rank and organization:
Private, Company L, 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Place and date:
At Fort Stedman, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Warwick,
R.I. Birth: Warwick, R.I. Date of issue: 21 July 1865. Citation:
Capture of flag.
JAMES T. MURPHY
Rank and organization: Private, Company
L, 1st Connecticut Artillery. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 25
March 1865. Entered service at: New Haven, Conn. Birth: Canada. Date
of issue: 29 October 1886. Citation: A piece of artillery having
been silenced by the enemy, this soldier voluntarily ass1sted in
working the piece, conducting himself throughout the engagement in a
gallant and fearless manner.
EDWIN M. NEVILLE
Rank and organization: Captain, Company
C, 1st Connecticut Cavalry. Place and date: At Sailors Creek, Va., 6
April 1865. Entered service at: Waterbury, Conn. Birth:------. Date
of issue: 3 May 1865. Citation: Capture of flag.
ELLIOTT M. NORTON
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant,
Company H, 6th Michigan Cavalry. Place and date: At Sailors Creek,
Va., 6 April 1865. Entered service at: Cooper, Mich. Birth:
Connecticut. Date of issue: 3 May 1865. Citation: Rushed ahead of
his column and captured the flag of the 44th Tennessee Infantry
(C.S.A.).
JOHN G. PALMER
Rank and organization. Corporal, Company
F, 21st Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg,
Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: Montville, Conn. Birth.
Montville, Conn. Date of issue. 30 October 1896. Citation: First of
6 men who volunteered to assist gunner of a battery upon which the
enemy was concentrating its fire, and fought with the battery until
the close of the engagement. His commanding officer felt he would
never see this man alive again.
OSCAR E. PECK
Rank and organization: Second Class Boy,
U.S. Navy. Born: 1848, Bridgeport, Conn. Accredited to: Connecticut.
G.O. No.: 11, 3 April 1863. Citation: Peck served as second_class
boy on board the Varuna during an attack on Forts Jackson and St.
Philip, 24 April 1862. Acting as powder boy of the after rifle, Peck
served gallantly while the Varuna was repeatedly attacked and rammed
and finally sunk. This was an extremely close_range action and,
although badly damaged, the Varuna delivered shells abaft the
Morgan's armor.
WILLIAM EDGAR
SIMONDS
Rank and organization: Sergeant Major,
25th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At Irish Bend, La., 14
April 1863. Entered service at: Canton, Conn. Birth: ------. Date of
issue: 25 February 1899. Citation. Displayed great gallantry, under
a heavy fire from the enemy, in calling in the skirmishers and
assisting in forming the line of battle.
ALLEN TUCKER
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company
F, 10th Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 2
April 1865. Entered service at: Sprague, Conn. Birth: Lyme, Conn.
Date of issue: 12 May 1865. Citation: Gallantry as color bearer in
the assault on Fort Gregg.
EDWARD W. WHITAKER
Rank and organization: Captain, Company
E, 1st Connecticut Cavalry. Place and date: At Reams Station, Va.,
29 June 1864. Entered service at: Ashford, Conn. Born: 15 June 1841,
Killingly, Conn. Date of issue: 2 April 1898. Citation: While acting
as an aide voluntarily carried dispatches from the commanding
general to Gen. Meade, forcing his way with a single troop of
Cavalry, through an Infantry division of the enemy in the most
distinguished manner, though he lost half his escort.
Source: Taken from the U.S. Senate
Committee on Veterans' Affairs Report, Medal of Honor Recipients:
1863-1978 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office,
1979)
All entries contributed by Nancy
Washell unless otherwise noted
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