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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Corporal · U.S. Army

Elisha Johns

Corporal Elisha Johns, 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, 1863

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Corporal Elisha Johns 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 B, 113th Illinois Infantry. Johns was 25 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 9, 1894, 31 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Johns was born on August 25, 1837 in Clinton, Summit County, Ohio. His Medal of Honor is credited to Martinton, Iroquois County, Illinois. Johns died on June 14, 1920 in Elkhart, Indiana, at the age of 82. He is buried at Plum Grove Cemetery in Union, Michigan. Records also list him as Jones, Elisha.

Johns is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 210 credited to Illinois.

Official Medal of Honor citation

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

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

Battles and campaigns

1863 · Civil War

Siege of Vicksburg

Result: Union victory

21 Medal of Honor recipients

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Clinton — map
  • Died: Cass County — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →

Timeline

  1. August 25, 1837
    Born in Clinton, Summit County, Ohio
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 25. Company B, 113th Illinois Infantry
  3. August 9, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. June 14, 1920
    Died in Elkhart, Indiana
    Age 82.
  5. Resting place
    Plum Grove Cemetery
    Union, Michigan

Biography

Elisha Johns (August 25, 1837 – June 14, 1920) 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. The surname is sometimes spelled Jones. Johns joined the 113th Illinois Infantry in August 1862, and was mustered out in June 1865.

From the Wikipedia article “Elisha Johns”, 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 Illinois

SH Samuel Hymer Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 JH John Hyland Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 Hugh Molloy Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 WP Wesley James Powers Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 JM James K. Merrifield Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 WB William Wallace Burritt Private · Army Civil War · 1863
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.