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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

David L. Gifford

Private David L. Gifford, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on May 24, 1864 at Ashepoo River, South Carolina during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War May 24, 1864

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private David L. Gifford received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 24, 1864 at Ashepoo River, South Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company B, 4th Massachusetts Cavalry. Gifford was 19 years old.

5 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on January 21, 1897, 32 years after the action.

Gifford was born on September 18, 1844 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. His Medal of Honor is credited to New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts. Gifford died on January 13, 1904 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, at the age of 59. He is buried at South Dartmouth Cemetery in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Gifford is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 265 credited to Massachusetts.

★ Rescue & Lifesaving

Official Medal of Honor citation

Volunteered as a member of a boat crew which went to the rescue of a large number of Union soldiers on board the stranded steamer Boston and with great gallantry assisted in conveying them to shore, being exposed during the entire time to a heavy fire from a Confederate battery.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Dartmouth — map
  • Died: Dartmouth — map
  • Buried: Dartmouth — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Massachusetts →

Timeline

  1. September 18, 1844
    Born in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts
  2. May 24, 1864
    Act of valor — Ashepoo River, South Carolina
    Age 19. Company B, 4th Massachusetts Cavalry
  3. January 21, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. January 13, 1904
    Died in Dartmouth, Massachusetts
    Age 59.
  5. Resting place
    South Dartmouth Cemetery
    South Dartmouth, Massachusetts

Biography

David Lewis Gifford (September 18, 1844 – January 13, 1904) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, for extraordinary heroism shown on May 24, 1864, while serving as a Private with Company B, 4th Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry, at Ashepoo River, South Carolina. His Medal of Honor was issued on January 21, 1897. He received his Medal of Honor following the steamer the USS Boston running aground on an Oyster bed, leaving 400 individuals within range of Confederate artillery. Gifford and four other men - led by George W.

From the Wikipedia article “David Lewis Gifford”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on May 24, 1864

George Washington Brush Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 WD William Downey Private · Army Civil War · 1864 JD John Duffey Private · Army Civil War · 1864 MM Michael C. Murphy Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864 PS Patrick Scanlan Private · Army Civil War · 1864

More Civil War recipients from Massachusetts

Samuel E. Eddy Private · Army Civil War · 1865 DM Daniel J. Murphy Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 MS Martin Schwenk Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 Leopold Karpeles Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 BL Bartlett Laffey Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 William Lord Musician · Army 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.