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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Charles Franklin Cleveland

Private Charles Franklin Cleveland, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on September 17, 1862 in Antietam, Maryland during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War September 17, 1862

Private Charles Franklin Cleveland, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on September 17, 1862 in Antietam, Maryland during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company C, 26th New York Infantry. Cleveland was 17 years old.

18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on June 12, 1895, 32 years after the action.

Cleveland was born on August 14, 1845 in Hartford, Washington County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Elmira, Chemung County, New York. Cleveland died on September 29, 1908, at the age of 63. He is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica, New York.

Cleveland is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.

★ Flags & Colors

Official Medal of Honor citation

Voluntarily took and carried the colors into action after the color bearer had been shot.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Battles and campaigns

1862 · Civil War

Battle of Antietam

Result: Union victory (see aftermath)

8 Medal of Honor recipients

Places

  • Born: Hartford — map
  • Died: Utica — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. August 14, 1845
    Born in Hartford, Washington County, New York
  2. September 17, 1862
    Act of valor — Antietam, Maryland
    Age 17. Company C, 26th New York Infantry
  3. June 12, 1895
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. September 29, 1908
    Died
    Age 63.
  5. Resting place
    Forest Hill Cemetery
    Utica, New York

Biography

Charles F. Cleveland (August 14, 1845 – February 29, 1908) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Cleveland received the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Battle of Antietam in Maryland on 17 September 1862. He was honored with the award on 12 June 1895.

From the Wikipedia article “Charles F. Cleveland”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on September 17, 1862

Hillary Beyer Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 JC John Joice Carter Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 BC Benjamin Ham Child Corporal · Army Civil War · 1862 John Cook Bugler · Army Civil War · 1862 RC Richard J. Curran Assistant Surgeon · Army Civil War · 1862 Oliver Duff Greene Major & Assistant Adjutant General · Army Civil War · 1862 TG Theodore W. Greig Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 IG Ignatz Gresser Corporal · Army Civil War · 1862 MH Marcus M. Haskell Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 Thomas Worcester Hyde Major · Army Civil War · 1862 SJ Samuel Johnson Private · Army Civil War · 1862 AL Adolph Libaire Captain · Army Civil War · 1862

See all 19 recipients for September 17, 1862 →

More Civil War recipients from New York

HW Henry Wilkes Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 DM Daniel Milliken Quarter Gunner · Navy Civil War · 1865 AH Asel Hagerty Private · Army Civil War · 1865 WP William Phinney Boatswain's Mate · Navy Civil War · 1864 TH Thomas Horan Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 WS Walter B. Smith Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.