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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Edward Welsh

Private Edward Welsh, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War May 22, 1863Born in Ireland

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private Edward Welsh received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 54th Ohio Infantry. Welsh was 20 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 11, 1894, 30 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Welsh was born on January 3, 1843 in Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. Welsh died on February 1, 1929 in Soldier's Home, Washington, at the age of 86. He is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, District of Columbia. Records also list him as Welch, Edward.

Welsh is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 256 credited to Ohio.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Gallantry in the charge of the "volunteer storming party."

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Ireland — map
  • Died: Washington, D.C. — map
  • Buried: Mount Olivet Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Ohio →

Timeline

  1. January 3, 1843
    Born in Ireland
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 20. Company D, 54th Ohio Infantry
  3. May 11, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. February 1, 1929
    Died in Soldier's Home, Washington
    Age 86.
  5. Resting place
    Mount Olivet Cemetery
    Washington, District of Columbia

Biography

Edward Welsh (January 3, 1843 – February 1, 1929) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863. His surname is sometimes spelled Welch.

From the Wikipedia article “Edward Welsh (soldier)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on May 22, 1863

CA Christian Albert Private · Army Civil War · 1863 WA William J. Archinal Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 CA Clinton Lycurgus Armstrong Private · Army Civil War · 1863 DA David Ayers Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 JA John G. k Ayers Private · Army Civil War · 1863 WB William H. Barringer Private · Army Civil War · 1863 MB Matthew Bickford Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 TB Thomas A. Blasdel Private · Army Civil War · 1863 EB Emmer Bowen Private · Army Civil War · 1863 UB Uriah H. Brown Private · Army Civil War · 1863 WB William P. Brownell Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1863 JB John C. Buckley Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863

See all 100 recipients for May 22, 1863 →

More Civil War recipients from Ohio

TT Thomas W. Thompson Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 JV Joseph van Matre Private · Army Civil War · 1865 John Morehead Scott Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 ✦ CS Charles Stacey Private · Army Civil War · 1863 Philip G. Shadrach Private · Army Civil War · 1862 ✦ Manning Ferguson Force Brigadier General · 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.