Colonel Charles Edward Phelps, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 8, 1864 at Laurel Hill, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 7th Maryland Infantry. Phelps was 31 years old.
6 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on March 30, 1898, 33 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General.
Phelps was born on May 1, 1833 in Guilford, Windham County, Vermont. His Medal of Honor is credited to Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland. Phelps died on December 27, 1908, at the age of 75. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.
Phelps 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
Rode to the head of the assaulting column, then much broken by severe losses and faltering under the close fire of artillery, placed himself conspicuously in front of the troops, and gallantly rallied and led them to within a few feet of the enemy's works, where he was severely wounded and captured.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Rode to the head of the assaulting column, then much broken by severe losses and faltering under the close fire of artillery, placed himself conspicuously in front of the troops, and gallantly rallied and led them to within a few feet of the enemy's works, where he was severely wounded and captured.
- Age at death: 75
- Resting place: Woodlawn Cemetery
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: United States representative
- Occupations: politician, judge, lawyer, university teacher
- Education: Harvard Law School
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Maryland →
Timeline
- May 1, 1833Born in Guilford, Windham County, Vermont
- May 8, 1864Act of valor — Laurel Hill, VirginiaAge 31. 7th Maryland Infantry
- March 30, 1898Medal of Honor presented
- December 27, 1908DiedAge 75.
- Resting placeWoodlawn CemeteryBaltimore, Maryland
Biography
Charles Edward Phelps (May 1, 1833 – December 27, 1908) was a colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War, later received a brevet as a brigadier general of volunteers, served as a city councilman, a U.S. Congressman from the third district of Maryland, and received the Medal of Honor. In later life, he was professor of equity at University of Maryland Law School and served for many years as judge on the Circuit Court of Baltimore.
From the Wikipedia article “Charles E. Phelps”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
