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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

John Wesley Conaway

Private John Wesley Conaway, 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

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private John Wesley Conaway 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 C, 83d Indiana Infantry. Conaway was 19 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 11, 1894, 31 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Corporal.

Conaway was born on September 19, 1843 in Dearborn County, Indiana. His Medal of Honor is credited to Hartford, Blackford County, Indiana. Conaway died on November 21, 1913 in Post Falls, Idaho, at the age of 70. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls, Idaho.

Conaway is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 75 credited to Indiana.

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

  • Died: Idaho — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Indiana →

Timeline

  1. September 19, 1843
    Born in Dearborn County, Indiana
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 19. Company C, 83d Indiana Infantry
  3. August 11, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. November 21, 1913
    Died in Post Falls, Idaho
    Age 70.
  5. Resting place
    Evergreen Cemetery
    Post Falls, Idaho

Biography

John Wesley Conaway (September 19, 1843 – November 21, 1913) 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. Conaway joined the army from Indiana in August 1862, and was discharged in June 1865.

From the Wikipedia article “John W. Conaway”, 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 Indiana

Thomas J. Box Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 PW Perry Wilkes Pilot · Navy Civil War · 1864 WT William P. Thompson Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ MR Milton F. Russell Captain · Army Civil War · 1862 Marion T. Anderson Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 OR Oliver P. Rood 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.