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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Jerome Morford

Private Jerome Morford, 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 Jerome Morford was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company K, 55th Illinois Infantry. Morford was 21 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on September 2, 1893, 30 years after the action.

Morford was born on June 13, 1841 in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Bridgers County, Illinois. Morford died on June 11, 1910 in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 68. He is buried at Riverton Crest Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.

Morford 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: Sharon — map
  • Died: Seattle — map
  • Buried: Riverton Crest Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →

Timeline

  1. June 13, 1841
    Born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 21. Company K, 55th Illinois Infantry
  3. September 2, 1893
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. June 11, 1910
    Died in Seattle, Washington
    Age 68.
  5. Resting place
    Riverton Crest Cemetery
    Seattle, Washington

Biography

Jerome Morford (June 13, 1841 – June 11, 1910) 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. Morford joined the 55th Illinois Infantry in October 1861, and was mustered out in August 1865.

From the Wikipedia article “Jerome Morford”, 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

Patrick Henry Pentzer Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 HH Henry M. Hardenbergh Private · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ SC Samuel Joseph Churchill Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 Andrew Jackson Smith Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ John Mcgreath Farquhar Sergeant Major · Army Civil War · 1862 John Gregory Bourke Private · 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.