Corporal John Francis Benjamin 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 M, 2d New York Cavalry.
59 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 3, 1865.
Benjamin was born in Orange County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Newburgh, Orange County, New York.
Benjamin is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Capture of battle flag of 9th Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.)
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Places
- Born: Orange County — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- Date unknownBorn in Orange County, New York
- April 6, 1865Act of valor — Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), VirginiaCompany M, 2d New York Cavalry
- May 3, 1865Medal of Honor presented
Biography
Corporal John F. Benjamin was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Benjamin was awarded the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Battle of Sayler's Creek in Virginia on 6 April 1865. He was honored with the award on 3 May 1865.
From the Wikipedia article “John F. Benjamin (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
