Henry W. Downs (August 29, 1844 – July 2, 1911) was a Union Army soldier serving in the 8th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment[note 1] during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Opequon more commonly called the Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia on September 19, 1864.[1]CITEREFSightline_Media_Group,Henry_W._Downs_(2020) He is buried at Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.[2]
Henry W. Downs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 29, 1844 Jamaica, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | July 2, 1911 (aged 66) Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Place of burial | Dayton National Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio |
| Allegiance | United States (Union) |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit |  8th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War • Battle of Opequon |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Medal of Honor citation
edit"The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Henry W. Downs, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 19 September 1864, while serving with Company I, 8th Vermont Infantry, in action at Winchester, Virginia. With one comrade, Sergeant Downs voluntarily crossed an open field, exposed to a raking fire, and returned with a supply of ammunition, successfully repeating the attempt a short time thereafter."[1][3]
See also
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References
editNotes
- ^ The 8th Vermont was raised for service in the Department of the Gulf before transferring to Virginia. See its Wikipedia article for more information.
Citations
Sources
- U.S. Army Center of Military History. "Medal of Honor Recipients – Civil War (A-L)". history.army.mil. Archived from the original on 2017-06-10. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- "Hall of Valor: The Military Medals Database". The Hall of Valor Project. Sightline Media Group. 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- Holt, Dean W. (2010). American Military Cemeteries. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 79. ISBN 9780786440238.