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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

George Kretsinger

Private George Kretsinger, 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, Private George Kretsinger 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 Chicago Mercantile Battery, Illinois Light Artillery. Kretsinger was 18 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 20, 1897, 34 years after the action.

Kretsinger was born on June 20, 1844 in Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Kretsinger died on April 20, 1906 in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 61. He is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

Kretsinger 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

Carried with others by hand a cannon up to and fired it through an embrasure of the enemy's works.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Fairfield — map
  • Buried: Rosehill Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →

Timeline

  1. June 20, 1844
    Born in Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 18. Chicago Mercantile Battery, Illinois Light Artillery
  3. July 20, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. April 20, 1906
    Died in Chicago, Illinois
    Age 61.
  5. Resting place
    Rose Hill Cemetery
    Chicago, Illinois

Biography

George Kretsinger (June 20, 1844 - April 20, 1906) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. Kretsinger was born in Fairfield, New York, and entered service in Chicago, Illinois. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, for extraordinary heroism shown in Henrico County, Virginia, for bravery in action during the Battle of Vicksburg, while serving as a Private with the Chicago Mercantile Battery in the Illinois Light Artillery on May 22, 1863. His Medal of Honor was issued on July 20, 1897. Kretsinger died on April 20, 1906, and was buried at Rosehill Cemetery, in Cook County, Illinois.

From the Wikipedia article “George Kretsinger”, 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

Patrick Henry Pentzer Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 JC John Henry Cook Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 PH Patrick Highland Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 RM Robinson Barr Murphy Musician · Army Civil War · 1864 George Henry Palmer Musician · Army Civil War · 1861 John S. Darrough Sergeant · 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.