Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Captain & Assistant Quartermaster Andrew Jackson McGonnigle received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 19, 1864 at Cedar Creek, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S. Volunteers. McGonnigle was 35 years old.
18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 21, 1897, 32 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Colonel.
McGonnigle was born on March 4, 1829 in New York, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. McGonnigle died on January 25, 1901 in Ashville, North Carolina, at the age of 71. He is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Ashville, North Carolina.
McGonnigle is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 85 credited to Maryland.
Official Medal of Honor citation
While acting as chief quartermaster of Gen. Sheridan's forces operating in the Shenandoah Valley, McGonnigle was severely wounded while voluntarily leading a brigade of infantry and was commended for the greatest gallantry by Gen. Sheridan.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
While acting as chief quartermaster of Gen. Sheridan's forces operating in the Shenandoah Valley, McGonnigle was severely wounded while voluntarily leading a brigade of infantry and was commended for the greatest gallantry by Gen. Sheridan.
- Age at death: 71
- Resting place: Riverside Cemetery
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Maryland →
Timeline
- March 4, 1829Born in New York, New York
- October 19, 1864Act of valor — Cedar Creek, VirginiaAge 35. U.S. Volunteers
- July 21, 1897Medal of Honor presented
- January 25, 1901Died in Ashville, North CarolinaAge 71.
- Resting placeRiverside CemeteryAshville, North Carolina
Biography
Andrew Jackson McGonnigle (March 4, 1829 – January 25, 1901) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Cedar Creek fought near Middletown, Virginia on October 19, 1864. The battle was the decisive engagement of Major General Philip Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864 and was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley. McGonnigle was commissioned as a Captain of Volunteers in March 1864, and served as an assistant quartermaster in the Army of the Shenandoah under General Philip Sheridan. He was transferred to the regular army Quartermaster Corps with the same rank in May 1865.
From the Wikipedia article “Andrew J. McGonnigle”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
