Golden Thread MOH recipients A-B

Mike Serpa

Major
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
goldenthread.jpg

I recently donated over 700 restored photos of about 550 Civil War Medal of Honor recipients to the American Battlefield Trust. The Spring 2019 issue of the trust's Hallowed Ground magazine shows some of the photos. A colorized photo of MOH recipient Samuel C. Wright (by coincidence my avatar) by @Zuzah is used as a backdrop for the table of contents. It's his usual awesome work!

550 is about one-third of the Civil War MOH recipients. Feel free to post photos of the ones I'm missing. I'll try to post a photo a day.

Sources: DOV - "Deeds of Valor," a two-volume set from the early 1900s
LOC - Library of Congress
HA - Heritage Auctions
FAG - Find a Grave
NYSMM - New York State Military Museum
NA - National Archives
Citations will be from Wikipedia or the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

J.G.B.A.jpg

John G.B. Adams - "Reminiscences of the Nineteenth Massachusetts Regiment," 1899

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, Company I, 19th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., December 13, 1862. Birth: Groveland, Mass. Date of issue: December 16, 1896.

Citation: Seized the 2 colors from the hands of a corporal and a lieutenant as they fell mortally wounded, and with a color in each hand advanced across the field to a point where the regiment was reformed on those colors.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Mike. Have you digitized the collection and is it available online somewhere? I've attached a photo of my ancestor, George Theodore Hyatt, 1st Sgt., Company D, 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 2nd Division, XV Army Corps. He received the MOH, “for gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party” (the Forlorn Hope), May 22, 1863, at Vicksburg. He was awarded the MOH in July, 1894. I'm curious to know if you have already seen this pic?

Theodore's account of the Forlorn Hope, as well as a handful of other first-person accounts of that and other actions at Vicksburg were published in the Chicago Sunday Times Herald on March 21, 1897. I'm not sure where one might find a copy of that paper now, but those stories provide details that can't be gleaned from the citations, alone. (The paper seems to be available at the Chicago Public Library, but for in-library use, only. I'm traveling for a few days, but when I return home I can try to find my copy of that paper, if anyone is interested.)

GTHyatt circa Jul 1894.jpg
 
Hi Mike. Have you digitized the collection and is it available online somewhere? I've attached a photo of my ancestor, George Theodore Hyatt, 1st Sgt., Company D, 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 2nd Division, XV Army Corps. He received the MOH, “for gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party” (the Forlorn Hope), May 22, 1863, at Vicksburg. He was awarded the MOH in July, 1894. I'm curious to know if you have already seen this pic?

Theodore's account of the Forlorn Hope, as well as a handful of other first-person accounts of that and other actions at Vicksburg were published in the Chicago Sunday Times Herald on March 21, 1897. I'm not sure where one might find a copy of that paper now, but those stories provide details that can't be gleaned from the citations, alone. (The paper seems to be available at the Chicago Public Library, but for in-library use, only. I'm traveling for a few days, but when I return home I can try to find my copy of that paper, if anyone is interested.)

View attachment 304045
Hi,

The American Battlefield Trust has 95+% of the Civil War photos. I haven't sent the others yet. The ABT MOH database is available online. Some photos are there and it will takes time to upload the new photos. The photos are very small.
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/medal-of-honor

I have restored more that 2,000 MOH recipients photos. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society has 1994 photos. I have more to send the CMOHS. The CMOHS recently received the photos and will be adding the photos I sent when they can. The photos are a little larger than those at the ABT.
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-archive.php

I haven't decided if I will post all of them online other than the ones I posted on Find A Grave and flickr.

I am familiar with the article in the Chicago Sunday Times Herald on March 21, 1897. Here is link to it. Very nice.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aw0DsvH_M21x6D7BX7Ccjzk7&ust=1556117085057716

I sent in this photo from "Deeds of Valor, Vol. 1." I would like to send the photo you posted. It shows his MOH! Do you have a larger version or any other photos of him?
Theodore Hyatt.jpg

Sadly there is no text about him.
https://archive.org/stream/deedsofvalorhow01beyerich#page/192/mode/2up
 
Mike,
I just read the MoH article in Hollowed Ground. Fascinating! We always receive a case of the magazines which we make available free to our visitors.Thank you for sharing the photos of these exceptional men.
Tom
Tom,
Your'e welcome. It was interesting reading: a modern era recipient at a Civil War site telling how he and the Civil War era recipient got their medals. Thanks.
 
James.jpg

James Allen - DOV
Citation:

Single-handed and slightly wounded he accosted a squad of 14 Confederate soldiers bearing the colors of the 16th Georgia Infantry (C.S.A.). By an imaginary ruse he secured their surrender and kept them at bay when the regimental commander discovered him and rode away for assistance.
 
Last edited:
Mike, my grandfather had a copy of Deeds of Valor, and I remember him showing me g-g-grandpa's photo in the book. Fortunately, however, he had that original pic of Theodore wearing the MOH, as well as the medal itself. I can get a larger copy (scan with greater resolution) of the photo but since I'm currently traveling it my take me a few days. I'll work on it.

When I first joined CWT I posted a detailed document that I created some time ago describing g-g-grandpa's service and his account of the Forlorn Hope. I've attached it again for anyone who may be interested. There is a copy of a photo taken at the end of the war in that document that I believe could be of Theodore, but for the reasons given it is unconfirmed.

BTW, thank you for the work that you've done to save the stories of these men!
 

Attachments

  • Assault of the Forlorn Hope 042319.pdf
    3.7 MB · Views: 71
Mike, my grandfather had a copy of Deeds of Valor, and I remember him showing me g-g-grandpa's photo in the book. Fortunately, however, he had that original pic of Theodore wearing the MOH, as well as the medal itself. I can get a larger copy (scan with greater resolution) of the photo but since I'm currently traveling it my take me a few days. I'll work on it.

When I first joined CWT I posted a detailed document that I created some time ago describing g-g-grandpa's service and his account of the Forlorn Hope. I've attached it again for anyone who may be interested. There is a copy of a photo taken at the end of the war in that document that I believe could be of Theodore, but for the reasons given it is unconfirmed.

BTW, thank you for the work that you've done to save the stories of these men!
I enjoy doing it. Thanks.
You did a great job with that article about him! If you can get better images I will submit them to the ABT and the CMOHS.
 
05590v.jpg

Adelbert Ames - LOC

Rank and Organization: First Lieutenant, 5th U.S. Artillery. Place and Date: At Bull Run, Va., July 21, 1861. Entered Service At: Rockland, Maine. Birth: East Thomaston, Maine. Date of Issue: June 22, 1894.

Citation:

Remained upon the field in command of a section of Griffin's Battery, directing its fire after being severely wounded and refusing to leave the field until too weak to sit upon the caisson where he had been placed by men of his command.
 
Every MoH deserves a thread although how unwieldy a project would that be? Awfully difficult. This is perfect, thanks Mike!
A wonderful idea, JPK. A young person with more years ahead of him then I would have to attempt that. Thanks.

Hate to disrupt the flow here, can't help wondering if you have in your B and H sections our Schuylkill County MoH's? link, just in case.

http://schuylkillhavenhistory.com/CIVILWAR.html
No disruption.
I don't have them in B and H. I will fix them up and send them to the CMOHS and ABT! Much thanks, JPK.
 
A wonderful idea, JPK. A young person with more years ahead of him then I would have to attempt that. Thanks.


No disruption.
I don't have them in B and H. I will fix them up and send them to the CMOHS and ABT! Much thanks, JPK.


Genuinely figured if anyone had them on a list it'd be you, glad to see them added. I'm a little Schuylkill County centric- hope you have time ( you sound busy.... ) to tool around the ACW section of that site. Crazy good stuff there and yet more veterans.
 
Genuinely figured if anyone had them on a list it'd be you, glad to see them added. I'm a little Schuylkill County centric- hope you have time ( you sound busy.... ) to tool around the ACW section of that site. Crazy good stuff there and yet more veterans.
I snooped around a little yesterday. Hope to get back to it. I have been busy lately. Probably not more than other people.
 
Back
Top