Veteran in crisis? Dial 988 then press 1 · Text 838255 Next observance: Navy Birthday · October 13
Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Corporal · U.S. Army

Harris Smith Hawthorne

Corporal Harris Smith Hawthorne, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 6, 1865 at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War April 6, 1865

Corporal Harris Smith Hawthorne was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 6, 1865 at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company F, 121st New York Infantry. Hawthorne was 33 years old.

59 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on December 29, 1894, 29 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Hawthorne was born on February 29, 1832 in Salem, Washington County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Otsego County, New York. Hawthorne died on March 23, 1911 in Hoosick Falls, New York, at the age of 79. He is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in Hoosick Falls, New York.

Hawthorne is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Capture of Confederate Maj. Gen. George Washington Custis Lee.

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

Places

  • Born: Salem — map
  • Died: Hoosick Falls — map
  • Buried: Maple Grove Old Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. February 29, 1832
    Born in Salem, Washington County, New York
  2. April 6, 1865
    Act of valor — Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia
    Age 33. Company F, 121st New York Infantry
  3. December 29, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. March 23, 1911
    Died in Hoosick Falls, New York
    Age 79.
  5. Resting place
    Maple Grove Cemetery
    Hoosick Falls, New York

Biography

Harris Smith Hawthorne (February 29, 1832 – March 23, 1911) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism shown on April 6, 1865, during the Battle of Sailor's Creek, where he captured Robert E. Lee's son, George Washington Custis Lee, while serving as a corporal with Company F, 121st New York Volunteer Infantry. His Medal of Honor was awarded on December 29, 1894. A competing claim for the capture of Lee was made in 1897 by David Dunnels White, a soldier of the 37th Massachusetts Infantry Volunteers. The claim was turned down by the U.S Army.

From the Wikipedia article “Harris S. Hawthorne”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on April 6, 1865

JB John Francis Benjamin Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 OB Orrin Bennett Private · Army Civil War · 1865 HB Hugh Patterson Boon Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 Lewis Francis Brest Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AB Andrew Bringle Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 IC Ivers S. Calkin First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 JC John Chapman Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AC Albert Adams Clapp First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 TC Trustrim Connell Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 FC Francis Marion Cunningham First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 Thomas Ward Custer Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 TD Thomas Davis Private · Army Civil War · 1865

See all 60 recipients for April 6, 1865 →

More Civil War recipients from New York

NI Nicholas Irwin Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 EP Edward Price Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 CK Charles W. Kenyon Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1862 JC James Connors Private · Army Civil War · 1864 JW John Henry Weeks Private · Army Civil War · 1864 WN William Nichols Quartermaster · Navy 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.