Fourteen Medals of Honor Awarded to USCT Troops at the Battle of New Market Heights-- Part 1

From the HMdb "African American Medal of Honor Recipients Memorial" in Wilmington, Delaware.

Yesterday, I wrote about a proposed new statue by the Richmond (Virginia) City Council to honor a United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiment that was awarded 14 Medals of Honor during the war.  Unfortunately, the article did not say which regiment it was, so I did some more research on them.  Receiving 14 Medals of Honor for one regiment is certainly a worthy accomplishment.

I found out in this source that they were not all from a single regiment, but did belong to USCT and the 14 Medals awarded were at one battle.

"Fourteen of the following  men received their awards for valor during the Battle of New Market Heights [a.k.a. Chaffin's or (Chapin's) Farm] on September 29, 1864.  With the exception of Sergeant James H. Harris and Sergeant Major Thomas Hawkins, all were awarded their MOH citation  April 6, 1865.

--Old Secesh

Union Soldiers Buried at Hampton National Cemetery in Virginia

From the Dec. 16, 2013, Hampton (Va.) Daily Press "A landmark graveyard filled with poignant stories of sacrifices and courage" by Mark St. John Erickson.

This article originally attracted my attention because of 28 German U-boat sailors buried there after their U-85 was sunk during World War II. I wrote about them in my World War II blog. I have also used Mr. Erickson's articles on the War of 1812 on several occasions in that blog. He sure gets the interesting things to write about.

Alongside the Germans are several hundred Union soldiers who died on nearby battlefields and many additional who died at the vast Hampton hospitals. In addition, some 300 Confederates who died at the hospitals are buried at the Hampton National Cemetery as well.

Six of the Civil War dead were awarded Medals of Honor, including two sailors who received their medals for action at the Battle of Mobile Bay. In addition, Sgt. Alfred B. Hilton and Pvt. Charles Veale who served in the 4th USCT who were stationed at Yorktown and killed at the Sept. 29, 1864, Battle of Chapins Farm.

A 65-foot Union monument dominates the cemetery landscape and was erected partly as a result of the actions of Clara Barton.

--Old Secesh