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Private · U.S. Army

Charles Veal

Private Charles Veal, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on September 29, 1864 at Chapin's Farm, Virginia during the Civil War.

Private Charles Veal, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on September 29, 1864 at Chapin's Farm, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 4th U.S. Colored Infantry. Veal was about 26 years old.

37 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on April 6, 1865.

Veal was born in 1838 in Portsmouth, Portsmouth County, Virginia. His Medal of Honor is credited to Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland. Veal died on July 27, 1872 in Hampton, Virginia, at the age of about 34. He is buried at Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia. Records also list him as Veale, Charles.

Veal 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

Seized the national colors, after two color bearers had been shot down close to the enemy's works, and bore them through the remainder of the battle.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Portsmouth — map
  • Buried: Hampton National Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Maryland →

Timeline

  1. 1838
    Born in Portsmouth, Portsmouth County, Virginia
  2. September 29, 1864
    Act of valor — Chapin's Farm, Virginia
    Age about 26. Company D, 4th U.S. Colored Infantry
  3. April 6, 1865
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. July 27, 1872
    Died in Hampton, Virginia
    Age about 34.
  5. Resting place
    Hampton National Cemetery
    Hampton, Virginia

Biography

Charles Veale or Veal was an African American Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm.

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

Also honored for actions on September 29, 1864

See all 38 recipients for September 29, 1864 →

More Civil War recipients from Maryland

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.