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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Lieutenant Colonel · U.S. Army

Joseph Sewall Smith

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Sewall Smith, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on October 27, 1864 at Hatcher's Run, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War October 27, 1864

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Sewall Smith was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 27, 1864 at Hatcher's Run, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 2d Army Corps. Smith was 27 years old.

15 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 25, 1892, 27 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General.

Smith was born on November 27, 1836 in Wiscasset, Lincoln County, Maine. Smith died on January 25, 1919 in Fort Monroe, Virginia, at the age of 82. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Smith is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 66 credited to Maine.

★ Flags & Colors

Official Medal of Honor citation

Led a part of a brigade, saved two pieces of artillery, captured a flag, and secured a number of prisoners.

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

How he died

Cause and manner of death: Wikidata.

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Life beyond the battlefield

  • Occupations: businessperson

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Wiscasset — map
  • Buried: Arlington National Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Maine →

Timeline

  1. November 27, 1836
    Born in Wiscasset, Lincoln County, Maine
  2. October 27, 1864
    Act of valor — Hatcher's Run, Virginia
    Age 27. 2d Army Corps
  3. May 25, 1892
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. January 25, 1919
    Died in Fort Monroe, Virginia
    Age 82.
  5. Resting place
    Arlington National Cemetery
    Arlington, Virginia

Biography

Joseph Sewall Smith (27 November 1836 – 25 January 1919) was a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War, advancing from private to lieutenant colonel. He was brevetted brigadier general of volunteers when released from active duty in July 1865 and later awarded the Medal of Honor in May 1892 for his actions while leading part of a brigade at the October 1864 Battle of Boydton Plank Road in Virginia.

From the Wikipedia article “Joseph Sewall Smith”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on October 27, 1864

SB Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr. First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 Jeremiah Z. Brown Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 LD Lorenzo Denning Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 AE Andrew Henry Embler Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 Daniel Griffin George Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 RH Richard Hamilton Coal Heaver · Navy Civil War · 1864 Bernard Harley Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 EH Edward J. Houghton Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 Robert Henry King Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 DM Daniel J. Murphy Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 CO Charles Alvin Orr Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Alonzo Smith Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864

See all 16 recipients for October 27, 1864 →

More Civil War recipients from Maine

Charles Porter Mattocks Colonel · Army Civil War · 1865 Andrew Jackson Tozier Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 Adelbert Ames First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1861 TT Thomas Taylor Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 AM Augustus Merrill Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 FH Frank W. Haskell Sergeant Major · Army Civil War · 1862
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.