Sampson Harris (Medal of Honor) explained
Sampson Harris (1841 - October 21, 1905) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.
Union assault
On May 22, 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault on the Confederate heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The plan called for a storming party of volunteers to build a bridge across a moat and plant scaling ladders against the enemy embankment in advance of the main attack.The volunteers knew the odds were against survival and the mission was called, in 19th-century vernacular, a "forlorn hope". Only single men were accepted as volunteers and even then, twice as many men as needed came forward and were turned away. The assault began in the early morning following a naval bombardment.The Union soldiers came under enemy fire immediately and were pinned down in the ditch they were to cross. Despite repeated attacks by the main Union body, the men of the forlorn hope were unable to retreat until nightfall. Of the 150 men in the storming party, nearly half were killed. Seventy-nine of the survivors were awarded the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation
"For gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party on 22 May 1863."
See also
References
- Book: 37th OVI Veterans Association . History of the 37th Regiment O.V.V.I. . December 23, 2012 . 1890 . Montgomery & Vrooman . Toledo, Ohio .
- Book: Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Dyer Pub. Co.. Des Moines, IA. 1908. B01BUFJ76Q. 8697590.
- Book: Ohio Roster Commission . 37th - 53rd Regiments-Infantry . The Werner Ptg. and Mfg. Co.. Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War on the Rebellion, 1861 - 1865. IV. 1887. Akron, OH. 842 . 181357575.
- Book: Reid, Whitelaw. Whitelaw Reid. The History of Her Regiments, and Other Military Organizations. Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin. Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers. II. 1868. Cincinnati, OH. 1002. 9781154801965. 11632330 .
- Book: Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Edward M Kennedy, Chairman. Medal of Honor, 1863-1968 : "In the Name of the Congress of the United States". U.S. Government Printing Office. Committee print (United States. Congress), 90th Congress, 2nd session. 1968. Washington DC. 1087 . 1049691780 .
- Book: U.S. War Department . The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, DC. 1880. 857196196.
- Web site: Sightline Media Group. 2020. Hall of Valor: The Military Medals Database. The Hall of Valor Project. 19 May 2020. .
- Web site: VCOnline . 2020. MOHs - victoriacross . THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE VICTORIA & GEORGE CROSS . 2 May 2020 . .
- Web site: CMOHS. CMOHS.org - Official Website of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Congressional Medal of Honor Society. 2014. 19 August 2014 . .
- Web site: The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. Home - The National Medal of Honor Museum The National Medal of Honor Museum. The National Medal of Honor Museum. 2020. 19 May 2020. .
External links
