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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Lieutenant Colonel · U.S. Army

John Charles Black

Lieutenant Colonel John Charles Black, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on December 7, 1862 in Prairie Grove, Arkansas during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War December 7, 1862

Lieutenant Colonel John Charles Black, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on December 7, 1862 in Prairie Grove, Arkansas during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 37th Illinois Infantry. Black was 23 years old.

The medal was presented on October 31, 1893, 30 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General.

Black was born on January 27, 1839 in Lexington, Holmes County, Mississippi. His Medal of Honor is credited to Danville, Vermillion County, Illinois. Black died on August 17, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 76. He is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Danville, Illinois.

Black 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

Gallantly charged the position of the enemy at the head of his regiment, after two other regiments had been repulsed and driven down the hill, and captured a battery; was severely wounded.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Life beyond the battlefield

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Lexington — map
  • Died: Chicago — map
  • Buried: Spring Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →

Timeline

  1. January 27, 1839
    Born in Lexington, Holmes County, Mississippi
  2. December 7, 1862
    Act of valor — Prairie Grove, Arkansas
    Age 23. 37th Illinois Infantry
  3. October 31, 1893
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. August 17, 1915
    Died in Chicago, Illinois
    Age 76.
  5. Resting place
    Spring Hill Cemetery
    Danville, Illinois

Biography

John Charles Black (January 27, 1839 – August 17, 1915) was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Illinois. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a Union Army lieutenant colonel and regimental commander at the Battle of Prairie Grove during the American Civil War.

From the Wikipedia article “John C. Black”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

More Civil War recipients from Illinois

GM George Marsh Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 SJ Simeon T. Josselyn First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 JD James Dunne Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 John Mcallister Schofield Major · Army Civil War · 1861 JL James W. Larrabee Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 John O'Dea Private · Army Civil War · 1863
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.