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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

James Smith Cunningham

Private James Smith Cunningham, 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

Private James Smith Cunningham, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 8th Missouri Infantry. Cunningham was 22 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 30, 1894, 31 years after the action.

Cunningham was born on December 31, 1840 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois. Cunningham died on April 1, 1921 in Burlington, Kansas, at the age of 80. He is buried at Big Creek Cemetery in Burlington, Kansas.

Cunningham 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

Gallantry in the charge of the "volunteer storming party."

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Washington County — map
  • Died: Kansas — map
  • Buried: Big Creek Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →

Timeline

  1. December 31, 1840
    Born in Washington County, Pennsylvania
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 22. Company D, 8th Missouri Infantry
  3. July 30, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. April 1, 1921
    Died in Burlington, Kansas
    Age 80.
  5. Resting place
    Big Creek Cemetery
    Burlington, Kansas

Biography

James Smith Cunningham (1840–1921) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.

From the Wikipedia article “James S. Cunningham”, 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

Menomen O'Donnell First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 SJ Simeon T. Josselyn First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 John S. Darrough Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 HT Henry H. Taylor Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 Nineveh S. McKeen First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 WB William Perkins Black Captain · Army 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.