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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

First Lieutenant · U.S. Army

James H. Gribben

First Lieutenant James H. Gribben, 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, 1865Born in Ireland

First Lieutenant James H. Gribben 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 C, 2d New York Cavalry. Gribben was about 26 years old.

59 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 3, 1865.

Gribben was born in April 1839 in Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York, New York. Gribben died on August 6, 1878 in New York, New York, at the age of about 39. He is buried at The Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Records also list him as Griffen, James H..

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

★ Flags & Colors

Official Medal of Honor citation

Capture of flag of 12th Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.).

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

Battles and campaigns

1865 · Civil War

Battle of Sailor's Creek

Result: Union victory

21 Medal of Honor recipients

Places

  • Born: Ireland — map
  • Died: New York City — map
  • Buried: Cypress Hills Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. April 1839
    Born in Ireland
  2. April 6, 1865
    Act of valor — Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia
    Age about 26. Company C, 2d New York Cavalry
  3. May 3, 1865
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. August 6, 1878
    Died in New York, New York
    Age about 39.
  5. Resting place
    The Green Wood Cemetery
    Brooklyn, New York

Biography

James Henry Gribben (April 1839 - August 6, 1878) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Gribben received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor. Gribben's medal was won for capturing the flag of the Confederate 12th Virginia Infantry at the Battle of Sayler's Creek in Virginia on April 6, 1865. He was honored with the award on May 3, 1865. Gribben was born in Ireland. He joined the US Army from New York City in September 1861, and was discharged in June 1865. He was buried at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn. Green-Wood Cemetery was mistakenly recorded on his death certificate.

From the Wikipedia article “James H. Gribben”, 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 →

Same unit

WB William John Brewer Private · Army Civil War · 1865

More Civil War recipients from New York

NP Norman F. Potter First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 JO James Rowan O'Beirne Captain · Army Civil War · 1862 Delavan Bates Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864 LA Lester Archer Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ William Gardner Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 JM John McGowan Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1862
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.