Courage and Valor, Above and Beyond

By Edwin C. Tingstrom

Ed Tingstrom is passionate for history which has led to considerable study of U.S. history with emphases on military history. However he has detected inconsistencies in the recording of historical events which led mim to ask questions. He would research and ferret out the answers by utilizing the National Archives, Library of Congress and other institutions to provide the answers he sought.
History has always been and will always be my passion. My quest is to share this passion with the younger generations in hopes of igniting a similar spark in them. History lives in all of us; all we have to do is seek the truth and remember.
Mr. Tingstrom is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He enjoys giving lectures in history and military service at local high schools and colleges, as well as serving as a docent at the VFW museum, which houses a collection of vintage poster art and war memorabilia dating back to the turn of the twenth century.
This is his first book



This book is dedicated to my wife Deirdre Whose constant encouragement and love provided me with the strength and conviction to continue.


To Professor Ransford Hopkins, Professor of History, Moorpark College, California, who lit the spark, which turned into a roaring fire to write this book, and to seek out history were ever it is found and share it with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483626420

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Edwin C. Tingstrom.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013907085

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-4836-2641-3

             Softcover    978-1-4836-2640-6

             Ebook         978-1-4836-2642-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/24/2013

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Civil War

Carney, William H.

Anderson, Bruce

Blake, Robert

Brown, William H.

Brown, Wilson

Barnes, William H.

Bronson, James H.

Dorsey, Decatur

Lawson, John

Fleetwood, Christian A.

Gardiner, James

Harris, James H.

Hawkins, Thomas R.

Hilton, Alfred B. (No Picture Available)

Holland, Milton Murray.

Kelly, Alexander

Mifflin, James

Beaty, Powhatan

Pease, Joachim

Pinn, Robert

Ratcliff, Edward

Veale, Charles

James, Miles

Smith, Andrew Jackson

Sanderson, Aaron

Indian Campaigns

Stance, Emanuel

Johnson, Henry

Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts

Paine, Adam (No Picture Is Available)

Factor, Pompey

Payne, Isaac (No Picture Is Available)

Ward, John

Greaves, Clinton (No Picture Is Available)

Boyne, Thomas (No Picture Available)

Denny, John

Jordan, George (No Picture Is Available)

Shaw, Thomas

Walley, Augustus

Williams, Moses (No Picture Available)

Woods, Brent

Brown, Benjamin

Mays, Isaiah

Wilson, William O.

Mcbryar, William

Interim Period Non-Combat Action

Daniel Atkins

John Davis

Alphonse Girandy

John Johnson

Robert Augustus Sweeney

Joseph B. Noil

William Johnson

John Smith

Spanish-

American War

Bell, Dennis

Lee, Fitz

Thompkins, William H.

Wanton, George H.

Baker, Edward L., Jr.

Penn, Robert S

World War I

Stowers, Freddie

World War Ii

Baker, Vernon

Carter, Edward A., Jr

Fox, John R.

James, Willy F., Jr. (No Photo Is Available)

Rivers, Ruben

Thomas, Charles Leroy.

Watson, George

Korean War

Charlton, Cornelius H.

Thompson, William H.

Vietnam War

Anderson, James, Jr.

Anderson, Webster

Ashley, Eugene, Jr.

Austin, Oscar P.

Bryant, William Maud

Davis, Rodney Maxwell

Jenkins, Robert H., Jr.

Johnson, Dwight H.

Johnson, Ralph H.

Leonard, Matthew

Long, Donald Russell

Joel, Lawrence

Langhorn, Garfield M.

Pitts, Riley L.

Olive, Milton L. Iii

Sargent, Ruppert L.

Sasser, Clarence Eugene

Sims, Clifford Chester

Rogers, Charles Calvin

Warren, John E., Jr.

Time Line Of The Medal Of Honor

Casualties For All Wars

Bibliography

T his book is dedicated to my wife, Deirdre, whose constant encouragement and love provided me with the strength and conviction to continue.

T o Ranford Hopkins, Professor of History, Moorpark College, California, who lit the spark, which turned into a roaring fire to seek history wherever it is found and share it with others by writing this book.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to the following for providing me with information, resources and permission to utilize material found on their Web sites.

Mr. Clarence Sasser, Medal of Honor recipient

C. Douglas Sterner, Home of Heroes Web site

The 9th Memorial Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers Web site

Naval History and Heritage Command

U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center

U.S. Army Combined Arms Center

Introduction

A BRIEF HISTORY—

THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Since its inception the Congressional Medal of Honor has been the nation’s highest award for valor that can be bestowed upon a member of the United States Military.

The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by the nation’s fighting men was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782. Designed to recognize any singularly meritorious action, the award, the Badge of Military Merit, consisted of a purple cloth heart. Records show that only three persons received the award: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, Sergeant William Brown, and Sergeant Daniel Bissel, Jr.¹

The Badge of Military Merit fell into oblivion until 1932, when General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff, pressed for its revival. Officially reinstituted on February 22, 1932, the now familiar Purple Heart was initially an Army award, given to those who had been wounded in World War I or who possessed a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate. In 1943, the order was amended to include personnel of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Coverage was eventually extended to include all services and any civilian national wounded while serving with the Armed Forces.²

Although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War, the idea of a decoration for individual gallantry remained through the early 1800s. In 1847, after the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, a certificate of merit was established for any soldier who distinguished himself in action. No medal went with the honor. After the Mexican-American War, the award was discontinued, which meant there was no military award with which to recognize the nation’s fighting men.

Early in the Civil War, a medal for individual valor was proposed to General-in-Chief of the Army, Winfield Scott, but Scott felt medals smacked of European affectation and killed the idea.

Then in December of 1861, the senator from Iowa, James W. Grimes, introduced to the U.S. Senate, S. No. 82. The bill was designed to promote the efficiency of the Navy by authorizing the production of 200 medals of honor which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seaman-like qualities during the present war. President Lincoln signed the bill and the Navy Medal of Honor was established. In February of 1862, the senator from Massachusetts, Henry Wilson, introduced a similar bill authorizing a medal of honor be established for the United States Army. The President shall distribute medals to privates in the Army of the United States who shall distinguish themselves in battle. The bill, S.J.R. No. 82, made its way through Congress and then was signed by President Lincoln on July 12, 1862.

The bill reads in part, resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause two thousand ‘medals of honor’ to be prepared with suitable emblematic devices, and to direct that the same be presented, in the name of the Congress, to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection.

Approximately 3,450 Medals of Honor have been awarded to sailors, marines, soldiers (Army), and civilians for individual acts of heroism. There have been nineteen recipients who have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice for separate actions.

Eighty-nine Medals of Honor have been awarded to eighty-eight African-American soldiers and sailors for individual acts of courage and heroism since the medal was first signed into law.

History had obscured the deeds of these brave men as well as their stories since that time and it has been only recently that the historian has been able to search through the volumes of awards, articles, and other literature available to bring to light their amazing stories.

While racism, prejudices, and neglect had prevented the awarding of Medals of Honor to African-Americans during World War I and World War II, these oversights were rectified in 1991 and 1996 respectively.

Since the beginning of this great nation, African-Americans have fought and died, from the Revolutionary War until present, in defense of this country, even though they were enslaved, disenfranchised, beaten, lynched and treated like third-class citizens. With this shuddering-inducing fact, one question remains to be answered: why would a group of citizens so mistreated be willing to die defending the country that had treated them so? The individual stories which follow are of all the African-American recipients, most of whom gave their lives in defense of their country. The answer to our question may well lie in their stories of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice.³

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Evolution of the Navy Medal of Honor

Courtesy of the Department of the Navy

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Evolution of the Army Medal of Honor

Courtesy of the Department of the Army

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Courtesy of the National Archives

Medal of Honors awarded to African Americans.

* No MOHs were given out to African-Americans during this time. MOHs were awarded posthumously.

** One African-American received the MOH twice for two separate acts of heroism

CIVIL WAR

1861-1865

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Total in Service

Union… . 2,213,363 (confirmed)     Confederate… . 1,050,000 (approximately)

Killed in Action

Union… . 140,414 (confirmed)     Confederate… . 74,524 (approximately)

Non-Combat Deaths

Union… . 224,097 (confirmed)     Confederate… . 59,297 (approximately)

Wounded

Union… . 281,881 (confirmed)     Confederate… . Unknown

African-Americans in Union service 180,000

NOTE: The Confederate Armed Forces did not keep many records on troop enlistments, casualties, etc. so all numbers for confederate losses are approximate based on battlefield casualties’ assessments.

The Civil War was the first American war during which the Medal of Honor was bestowed upon military personnel who displayed acts of bravery and heroism in the face of the enemy. A total of 1,522 medals were awarded between 1861 and 1865, of which twenty-five were awarded to African American soldiers.

During the Civil War one of the most important jobs in the military was the protection of the national flag as well as the individual unit flags. A set of colors consisted of one national flag and one distinctive regimental flag.⁴ The flags were not only very important parts of the individual units, but also were objects of great pride. Men called color sergeants were placed in charge of the national flag and unit flags. It was a mark of enormous disgrace to lose a national or unit flag and these men would risk life and limb to ensure the safety of the flags they were entrusted to protect during the hazards of battle. Many of the Medals of Honor which were awarded during the Civil War were for the saving and/or protection of the national and unit flags; awards could also be granted for the capture of the enemy’s flag(s).

CARNEY, WILLIAM H.

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William Carney was born into slavery on February 29, 1840 in Norfolk, Virginia. Upon the death of his parents’ owner, the Carneys were set free. The family first moved north to Pennsylvania, then on to New York City, but finally the family settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Carney felt compelled to serve his country but also to help his oppressed and enslaved brethren. On March 4, 1863, Carney and other African-Americans from New Bedford joined Company C, 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment.

After three months of training at Readville, Massachusetts, the 54th Regiment was shipped south to South Carolina where the war was raging. The regiment would see combat action at Hilton Head, St. Simon’s Island, Darien, James Island, and Fort Wagner. It is at Fort Wagner that this story begins.

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Figure 2 Morris Island and Charleston harbor courtesy civil war trust

At Morris Island’s northern point, the Confederate Army had built Battery Gregg to cover the approach to Charleston and Fort Sumpter. Guarding Battery Gregg was Fort Wagner, located south and to the east. The position of Fort Wagner allowed for only one approach for attack and that was from the south. If an invasion force attempted to land north of Wagner the Confederates at Battery Gregg could place the invading force in a cross-fire. To the west of Wagner was an impenetrable swamp. If the Union forces wished to invade Charleston it would first have to take Fort Wagner and then Battery Gregg. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was assigned to be the lead element on a frontal assault upon the eastern parapets.

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Figure 3 Fort Wanger 1863 courtesy of civil war trust

Fort Wagner measured 250 by 100 yards and stretched across the southern portion of Cumming’s Point from the Atlantic side on the east to an impassable swamp on its west. Wagner had sloping sand walls and earthen parapets which rose some 30 feet above the flat beach. The Confederates had reinforced the walls with palmetto logs and sandbags. They had also built a bomb proof shelter large enough to house between 1,000 and 1,700 troops. Fourteen cannons had been strategically placed, which provided covering fire and a deadly killing zone. To further complicate a frontal assault the Confederates had constructed a water filled ditch, 10 feet wide and 5 feet deep. Buried behind the ditch were both land mines and razor-sharp palmetto stakes. Garrisoned by a relatively small force, Fort Wagner was virtually impregnable from a frontal attack. This formidable fort lay between the Union Army and Battery Gregg and needed to be reduced and taken in order to secure Charleston harbor.⁵

On the morning of July 18, 1863 at approximately 0830 hours, the battle of Fort Wagner began. Four Union shore batteries along with eleven naval ships-of-the-line commenced the heaviest cannonade of the Civil War. The 54th Massachusetts was already lined up as the lead element in the attack, followed by the 6th Connecticut, 48th New York, 3rd New Hampshire, 76th Pennsylvania and the 9th Maine infantry regiments. The Union forces could see the rounds landing on, in, and about the fort; they could feel the earth tremble with the powerful and violent force of the shells’ impacts. The sun was blotted out by the heavy smoke from the guns laying siege to the fort. The heat of the day had little effect upon the amassed troops as they stood waiting for the order to advance. Each man was left to his own thoughts, still needing to remain alert during the long bombardment. After eleven hours of continuous shelling the word to advance was finally given.

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