Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Corporal Ebenezer Skellie received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 29, 1864 at Chapin's Farm, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 112th New York Infantry. Skellie was about 20 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. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Second Lieutenant NY Volunteers.
Skellie was born in August 1844 in Mina, Chautauqua County, New York. Skellie died on July 2, 1898 in Findley Lake, New York, at the age of about 54. He is buried at Mina Cemetery in Mina, New York.
Skellie 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
Took the colors of his regiment, the color bearer having fallen, and carried them through the first charge; also, in the second charge, after all the color guards had been killed or wounded he carried the colors up to the enemy's works, where he fell wounded.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Took the colors of his regiment, the color bearer having fallen, and carried them through the first charge; also, in the second charge, after all the color guards had been killed or wounded he carried the colors up to the enemy's works, where he fell wounded.
- Age at death: about 54
- Resting place: Mina Cemetery
Timeline
- August 1844Born in Mina, Chautauqua County, New York
- September 29, 1864Act of valor — Chapin's Farm, VirginiaAge about 20. Company D, 112th New York Infantry
- April 6, 1865Medal of Honor presented
- July 2, 1898Died in Findley Lake, New YorkAge about 54.
- Resting placeMina CemeteryMina, New York
