Captain Charles H. Houghton, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on March 25, 1865 in Petersburg, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company L, 14th New York Artillery. Houghton was 22 years old.
11 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on April 5, 1898, 33 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Colonel.
Houghton was born on April 30, 1842 in Macomb, St. Lawrence County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County, New York. Houghton died on April 6, 1914 in Jersey City, New Jersey, at the age of 71. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Houghton is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
In the Union assault at the Crater (30 July 1864), and in the Confederate assault repelled at Fort Haskell, Houghton displayed most conspicuous gallantry and repeatedly exposed himself voluntarily to great danger, was three times wounded, and the suffered loss of a leg.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- April 30, 1842Born in Macomb, St. Lawrence County, New York
- March 25, 1865Act of valor — Petersburg, VirginiaAge 22. Company L, 14th New York Artillery
- April 5, 1898Medal of Honor presented
- April 6, 1914Died in Jersey City, New JerseyAge 71.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
Charles H. Houghton (April 30, 1842 – April 6, 1914) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
From the Wikipedia article “Charles H. Houghton”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
