Private George W. Harris, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 12, 1864 in Spotsylvania, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company B, 148th Pennsylvania Infantry. Harris was 29 years old.
34 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on December 6, 1864 — by Major General George G. Meade, at a review of the 2nd Army Corps Headquarters, Peebles' House, near Petersburg, Va.
Harris was born on March 6, 1835 in Schuylkill, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. Harris died on January 30, 1921 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, at the age of 85. He is buried at Union Cemetery.
Harris is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Capture of flag, wresting it from the color bearer and shooting an officer who attempted to regain it.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →
Timeline
- March 6, 1835Born in Schuylkill, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
- May 12, 1864Act of valor — Spotsylvania, VirginiaAge 29. Company B, 148th Pennsylvania Infantry
- December 6, 1864Medal of Honor presentedBy Major General George G. Meade, at a review of the 2nd Army Corps Headquarters, Peebles' House, near Petersburg, Va.
- January 30, 1921Died in Bellefonte, PennsylvaniaAge 85.
- Resting placeUnion Cemetery
Biography
George W. Harris (March 6, 1835 – January 30, 1921) was a United States soldier who fought with the Union army during the American Civil War as a private with Company B of the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry, a regiment which "was present in every battle of the Army of the Potomac from Chancellorsville to the surrender at Appomattox and was in the hottest fighting of all of them except the Wilderness". On December 1, 1864, he received his nation's highest award for valor, the U.S. Medal of Honor, for capturing the enemy's flag while engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 12, 1864.
From the Wikipedia article “George W. Harris”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
