James Smith Cunningham (1840–1921) 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.
James Smith Cunningham | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 30, 1840 Washington County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | April 1, 1921 (aged 80) Kansas |
| Place of burial | Big Creek Cemetery, Burlington, Kansas |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit |  8th Missouri Volunteer Infantry - Company D |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War • Siege of Vicksburg |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Union assault
editOn May 22, 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault on the Confederate heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi.[1] 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 nineteenth 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.[2] Seventy-nine of the survivors were awarded the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation
edit"For gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party on 22 May 1863.[3][4]"
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Dyer (1908), p. 170.
- ^ War Department (1889), p. 150, Vol. XXIV-XXXVI-II.
- ^ CMOHS (2014).
- ^ VCOnline (2020).
References
edit- Dyer, Frederick H (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q.
- War Department, U.S. (1889). Operations in Mississippi and West Tennessee, including those in Arkansas and Louisiana connected with the Siege of Vicksburg. January 20 - August 10, 1863 - Reports, May 16-August 10. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Vol. XXIV-XXXVI-II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. hdl:2027/coo.31924077723033. OCLC 857196196.
- "CUNNINGHAM, JAMES S." Congressional Medal of Honor Society. CMOHS. 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- "James Smith Cunningham". THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE VICTORIA & GEORGE CROSS. VCOnline. 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
External links
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