Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Captain Henry Algernon du Pont received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 19, 1864 at Cedar Creek, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 5th U.S. Artillery. du Pont was 26 years old.
18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on April 2, 1898, 33 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.
du Pont was born on July 30, 1838 in Eleutherean Mills, New Castle County, Delaware. His Medal of Honor is credited to Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware. du Pont died on December 31, 1926 in Winterthur, Delaware, at the age of 88. He is buried at Du Pont Family Cemetery in Christiana Hundred, Delaware.
du Pont is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 13 credited to Delaware.
Official Medal of Honor citation
By his distinguished gallantry and voluntary exposure to the enemy's fire at a critical moment, when the Union line had been broken, encouraged his men to stand to their guns, checked the advance of the enemy and brought off most of his pieces.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: United States senator
- Occupations: politician, businessperson
- Education: University of Pennsylvania, United States Military Academy
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Delaware →
Timeline
- July 30, 1838Born in Eleutherean Mills, New Castle County, Delaware
- October 19, 1864Act of valor — Cedar Creek, VirginiaAge 26. 5th U.S. Artillery
- April 2, 1898Medal of Honor presented
- December 31, 1926Died in Winterthur, DelawareAge 88.
- Resting placeDu Pont Family CemeteryChristiana Hundred, Delaware
Biography
Henry Algernon du Pont (July 30, 1838 – December 31, 1926) was an American military officer, businessman, and politician from Delaware. A member of the du Pont family, he graduated first in his class from West Point shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War and served in the U.S. Army, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Cedar Creek in October 1864. After retiring from the army in 1875, he was president of the Wilmington and Northern Railroad Company for 20 years, until 1899. An active member of the Republican Party, he was elected by the state legislature as a U.S.
From the Wikipedia article “Henry A. du Pont”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
