Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Musician George Henry Palmer received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 20, 1861 in Lexington, Missouri during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 1st Illinois Cavalry. Palmer was about 19 years old.
The medal was presented on March 10, 1896, 34 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Major.
Palmer was born in 1842 in New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois. Palmer died on April 7, 1901, at the age of about 59. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Palmer 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
Volunteered to fight in the trenches and also led a charge which resulted in the recapture of a Union hospital, together with Confederate sharpshooters then occupying the same.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Education: Monmouth College
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →
Timeline
- 1842Born in New York
- September 20, 1861Act of valor — Lexington, MissouriAge about 19. 1st Illinois Cavalry
- March 10, 1896Medal of Honor presented
- April 7, 1901DiedAge about 59.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
George Henry Palmer (April 16, 1841 – April 7, 1901) was an American bugler in the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry during the American Civil War. He received the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action while fighting for the North at Lexington, Missouri, on September 20, 1861. He was honored with the award on March 10, 1896.
From the Wikipedia article “George Henry Palmer”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
