Monthly Archives: June 2021

Gaines Mill, 1862.

Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield, in addition to being a hero, affects all of us with a military connection today.  He gave us Taps.  He’s also unusual in that he was a general officer when he earned his Medal.  While not so true for the Civil War, and even up through the Spanish American War, Generals don’t often find themselves in a position to display the personal level of heroism usually attendant to the Medal of Honor.  At least, they shouldn’t, if they’re doing their jobs right.

This was the third battle of the Seven Days series of battles as McClellan moved on Richmond in 1862.  On 27 June, Confederate General Robert E. Lee renewed his assault on Union Brigadier General Fitz-John Porter’s V Corps, which was established in a strong defensive line behind Boatswain’s Swamp north of the Chickahominy River.

Porter held fast for the afternoon against disjointed Confederate attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking Rebels.   At dusk, Lee was finally able to conduct a coordinated assault which broke V Corps line and drove Porter’s troops back to the Chichahominy, which they retreated back across during the night. Before we got too critical of Lee, remember he’s doing this by sending aides on horseback with notes or verbal orders around to his commanders as well as riding around the battlefield himself – as are his generals. Today we’re spoiled, radio is a wonderful thing in moderation.

The defeat at Gaines’ Mill convinced General McClellan to abandon his advance on Richmond, Virginia and begin the retreat to the James River. Gaines’ Mill saved Richmond and ended the best chance for an early end to the war. Continue reading “Today’s Medal of Honor Moment for 27 June”

There are seven Medals awarded for actions on this day, beginning, as we usually do, with the Civil War.  An early instance of “Leave no man behind” as a command philosophy:

WILLIAMS, JOHN

Rank and organization: Captain of the Maintop, U.S. Navy. Born: 1828, New Orleans, La. Accredited to: Louisiana. G.O. No.: 11, 3 April 1863. Citation: Serving as captain of the maintop of the U.S.S. Pawnee in the attack upon Mathias Point, 26 June 1861, Williams told his men, while lying off in the boat, that every man must die on his thwart sooner than leave a man behind. Although wounded by a musket ball in the thigh he retained the charge of his boat; and when the staff was shot away, held the stump in his hand, with the flag, until alongside the Freeborn.

Next, back to the Indian Wars, and the diminuendo of Little Big Horn.  They weren’t listed yesterday because I’ve adopted the convention that when there is more than one covered date on a citation, I’m using the last day as the day for marking the award.  All products of the Reno-Benteen fight, and while they probably would be Bronze Stars with V or Silver Stars today – it still took notable courage to get out of your rifle pit, and attract attention to yourself getting water and bringing it to the wounded. Continue reading “Today’s Medal of Honor Moment for 26 June”

Today is a very representative day for the Medal of Honor.  We have Medals awarded to take the sting out of failure, we have Medals awarded that are classics of the genre, and we have Medals awarded that would not be awarded under today’s criteria.  A little microcosm of the changes the Medal has gone through over the decades.

We start with the Civil War.  First up, the Battle of Oak Grove in 1862.  If you want to find something that will start a geek-fight, find some medieval Bishops and ask ’em how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, find some Army colonels and ask ’em to define strategic communications (is that *with* an ‘s’ or without?) or some other doctrinal term du jour, or ask a Virginia-based Civil War roundtable about whether or not the Battle of Oak Grove is, as conventionally portrayed, the opening battle of the Seven Days, or should it more properly be classified as the final battle of McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign?  Regardless, the fight stands ‘twixt the two, and for a named battle of the Civil War had a moderately low casualty count, with Union losses running at around 600 to all causes, with the Confederates about 450.  And it provided a chance for Private Dillon of the 2nd New Hampshire to shine while helping out some Gunners at Williamsburg and doing a little reconnaissance at Oak Grove. Continue reading “Today’s Medal of Honor Moment for 25 June”

First is St. Mary’s Church, the closing fight of the bigger campaign that included the battle at Trevilian Station.  There were two Medals for this fight, one for Colonel Smith of the First Maine, and one for Captain Henry Weir, Assistant Adjutant General of the Second Division.  I just finished a book-length analysis of the campaign, called Glory Enough for All, by Eric J. Wittenberg.  A very readable history of Sheridan’s second raid and it’s climax at Trevilian.  Not a dry classic history, this one is full of the words and spirit of the times.  From Wittenberg’s perspective, Sheridan’s reputation takes on some tarnish after his study of the campaign, and Wade Hampton’s star waxes ascendant.  Here’s Wittenberg’s description of Smith’s Medal action:

“Col. Charles H. Smith of the First Maine, a thirty-seven-year-old-school-teacher, was shot in the leg.  The same ball also killed his horse.  His men became demoralized and started falling back.  Despite the pain of his wound, Smith refused to leave the field.  Instead, he rallied his troopers, who in spite of the din of battle, called out three cheers for their injured commander.  The Maine men turned on the enemy and made a stand, the tide of battle flowing back and forth.  One of the Maine men wrote, “Up close to our works they come and after a few rounds are fired, muskets are clubbed, and savagely the conflict rages.”  They repulsed three attacks before finally being driven from the field by the ferocity of the Southern attack.  IN the closing moments of the fight, the Colonel lost a second horse shot out from under him.  Mounting an orderly’s horse, the injured Colonel rallied his troopers, preventing them from breaking and running.  Smith was the last member of the First Maine to leave the field

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, and he received a brevet to Brigadier General of Volunteers for his gallantry that day.  When Smith returned to duty, he received command of a brigade of cavalry that was specifically assembled for him.”

Continue reading “Today’s Medal of Honor Moment for 24 June”