Sergeant John P. Beech, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 12, 1864 in Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company B, 4th New Jersey Infantry. Beech was 20 years old.
34 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on June 1, 1894, 30 years after the action.
Beech was born on May 1, 1844 in England — one of 98 recipients born in England. His Medal of Honor is credited to Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. Beech died on November 27, 1926, at the age of 82. He is buried at Mercer Cemetery in Trenton, New Jersey.
Beech is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 93 credited to New Jersey.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Voluntarily assisted in working the guns of a battery, all the members of which had been killed or wounded.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New Jersey →
Timeline
- May 1, 1844Born in England
- May 12, 1864Act of valor — Spotsylvania Courthouse, VirginiaAge 20. Company B, 4th New Jersey Infantry
- June 1, 1894Medal of Honor presented
- November 27, 1926DiedAge 82.
- Resting placeMercer CemeteryTrenton, New Jersey
Biography
Sergeant John Pointon Beech (May 1, 1844 – November 27, 1926) was an English-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Beech was awarded the United States' highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, in Virginia, on May 12, 1864. He was honored with the award on June 1, 1894. Outside of his military career, he worked as a potter.
From the Wikipedia article “John P. Beech”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
