Harris S. Hawthorne

Harris Smith Hawthorne (February 29, 1832 – March 23, 1911) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.[1]

Harris Smith Hawthorne
Hawthorne in c. 1898
Born(1832-02-29)February 29, 1832
Salem, New York
DiedMarch 23, 1911(1911-03-23) (aged 79)
Hoosick Falls, New York
Buried
Maple Grove Cemetery, Hoosick, New York
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
RankCorporal
UnitNew York (state) Company F, 121st New York Volunteer Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
Battle of Sailor's Creek
Awards Medal of Honor

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism shown on April 6, 1865, during the Battle of Sailor's Creek, where he captured Robert E. Lee's son, George Washington Custis Lee, while serving as a corporal with Company F, 121st New York Volunteer Infantry. His Medal of Honor was awarded on December 29, 1894.[2]

A competing claim for the capture of Lee was made in 1897 by David Dunnels White, a soldier of the 37th Massachusetts Infantry Volunteers. The claim was turned down by the U.S Army. In 2011, White's descendants submitted another claim which was also rejected. Their theory seems to be that Lee escaped after his initial detainment by White and was recaptured by Hawthorne.

Hawthorne died at the age of 79 on March 23, 1911, and was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Hoosick, New York.[2]

Medal of Honor citation

Capture of Confederate Maj. Gen. George Washington Custis Lee[3]

See also

Notes
  1. Dyer (1908), p. 541.
  2. CMOHS (2014).
  3. War Department (1880), p. 171.

References
  • Dyer, Frederick H (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q.
  • War Department, U.S. (1880). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 857196196.
  • "HAWTHORNE, HARRIS S". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. CMOHS. 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
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