Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Sergeant John Nicholas Coyne received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 5, 1862 in Williamsburg, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company B, 70th New York Infantry. Coyne was 22 years old.
2 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on April 18, 1888, 25 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Coyne was born on November 14, 1839 in New York, New York. Coyne died on March 4, 1907 in East Orange, New Jersey, at the age of 67. He is buried at The Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Coyne 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 a flag after a severe hand-to-hand contest; was mentioned in orders for his gallantry.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
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Timeline
- November 14, 1839Born in New York, New York
- May 5, 1862Act of valor — Williamsburg, VirginiaAge 22. Company B, 70th New York Infantry
- April 18, 1888Medal of Honor presented
- March 4, 1907Died in East Orange, New JerseyAge 67.
- Resting placeThe Green Wood CemeteryBrooklyn, New York
Biography
John Nicholas Coyne Jr. (November 14, 1839 to March 4, 1907) was a United States military officer who fought with the Union Army as a member of the 70th New York Infantry during the American Civil War. He received his nation's highest award for valor, the U.S. Medal of Honor, for capturing an enemy flag while engaged in hand-to-hand combat during the Battle of Williamsburg in Virginia on May 5, 1862. That flag was "[t]he first Confederate flag captured on the battle-field" by the Union Army during the war, according to historian Thomas S. Townsend. Coyne's medal was conferred on April 18, 1888.
From the Wikipedia article “John N. Coyne”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
