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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Army

Dennis William Hickey

Sergeant Dennis William Hickey, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on June 29, 1864 at Stony Creek Bridge, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War June 29, 1864

Sergeant Dennis William Hickey, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on June 29, 1864 at Stony Creek Bridge, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company E, 2d New York Cavalry. Hickey was 19 years old.

One other service member also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on April 18, 1891, 26 years after the action.

Hickey was born on September 20, 1844 in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. Hickey died on October 26, 1908 in Newburgh, New York, at the age of 64. He is buried at St. George's Cemetery in Newburgh, New York.

Hickey 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

With a detachment of three men, tore up the bridge at Stony Creek, being the last man on the bridge and covering the retreat until he was shot down.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Troy — map
  • Buried: Newburgh — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. September 20, 1844
    Born in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York
  2. June 29, 1864
    Act of valor — Stony Creek Bridge, Virginia
    Age 19. Company E, 2d New York Cavalry
  3. April 18, 1891
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. October 26, 1908
    Died in Newburgh, New York
    Age 64.
  5. Resting place
    St. George's Cemetery
    Newburgh, New York

Biography

Dennis William Hickey (September 20, 1844 - October 26, 1908) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. Hickey was born in Troy, New York on September 20, 1844. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, for extraordinary heroism shown on June 29, 1864, while serving as a Sergeant with Company E, 2nd New York Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, at Stony Creek Bridge, Virginia. His Medal of Honor was issued on April 18, 1891. Hickey died at the age of 64, on and was buried at Saint Georges Cemetery in Newburgh, New York.

From the Wikipedia article “Dennis W. Hickey”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on June 29, 1864

Edward Washburn Whitaker Captain · Army Civil War · 1864

More Civil War recipients from New York

JB John Brosnan Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 MH Michael Hudson Sergeant · Marine Corps Civil War · 1864 TO Thomas O'Connell Coal Heaver · Navy Civil War · 1864 JS John Sullivan Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 FM Frank Miller Private · Army Civil War · 1865 TE Thomas English Signal Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1865
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.