Alfred B. Hilton

Alfred B. Hilton (1842 – October 21, 1864) was an African American Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm.

Alfred B. Hilton
Bornc. 1842
Hopewell Village, Maryland, U.S.
DiedOctober 21, 1864 (aged 21–22)
Place of burial
Hampton National Cemetery
Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Union
Service/branchUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1863–1864
RankSergeant
UnitUnited States Company H, 4th Regiment United States Colored Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
*Battle of Chaffin's Farm
AwardsMedal of Honor

Biography
Hilton's grave at Hampton National Cemetery

Around 1842, Alfred B. Hilton was born near Hopewell Village, Maryland to Harriet and Isaac Hilton.[1]

In 1863, Hilton enlisted with the 4th Regiment United States Colored Infantry.[1] By September 29, 1864, Hilton was serving as a Sergeant in Company H of the regiment. On that day, his unit participated in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm on the outskirts of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. During the battle, Hilton carried the American flag as part of the unit's color guard. As the 4th Regiment charged the enemy fortifications, Hilton grabbed a second flag, the regimental colors, from a wounded soldier. When he was himself seriously wounded by a shot through the leg, he called out "Boys, save the colors!" Two of his fellow soldiers stepped forward; Sergeant Major Christian Fleetwood took the American flag and Private Charles Veale grabbed the blue regimental flag, each before the colors could touch the ground.[2]

Hilton died of his wounds nearly a month later, on October 21.[1] Six months after the battle, on April 6, 1865, he was posthumously issued the Medal of Honor for his actions at Chaffin's Farm. The men who had taken the flags after he was wounded, Fleetwood and Veale, also received the medal.

Hilton is buried in Hampton National Cemetery, Hampton, Virginia.[1]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company H, 4th U.S. Colored Troops. Place and date. At Chapins Farm, Va., September 29, 1864. Entered service at:------. Birth: Harford County, Md. Date of issue: April 6, 1865.

Citation:

When the regimental color bearer fell, this soldier seized the color and carried it forward, together with the national standard, until disabled at the enemy's inner line.[3][4][5][6]

Legacy

In 2021, a monument to Hilton is planned at the David R. Craig Park in Havre de Grace, Maryland.[1]

See also

Notes
  1. Whitlow, James (2021-05-14). "Monument for Sgt. Alfred Hilton, Harford's only Medal of Honor recipient, to be built in Havre de Grace park this year". The Aegis. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  2. Beyer, Walter F.; Keydel, Oscar F., eds. (2000). Deeds of valor: How America's Civil War heroes won the Congressional Medal of Honor. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers. p. 434. ISBN 076511769X.
  3. CMoHS (2020).
  4. VCOnline (2020).
  5. Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs (1968), p. 120.
  6. Beyer & Keydel (1905), p. 435.

References
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