Sergeant Ovila Cayer was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 19, 1864 in Weldon Railroad, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company A, 14th U.S. Volunteer Infantry. Cayer was 20 years old.
4 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on February 15, 1867, 2 years after the action.
Cayer was born on February 9, 1844 in St. Remi, Canada — one of 60 recipients born in Canada. His Medal of Honor is credited to Malone, Franklin County, New York. Cayer died on February 7, 1909 in Salinas, California, at the age of 64. He is buried at Garden of Memory Park Cemetery in Salinas, California.
Cayer 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
Commanded the regiment, all the officers being disabled.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- February 9, 1844Born in St. Remi, Canada
- August 19, 1864Act of valor — Weldon Railroad, VirginiaAge 20. Company A, 14th U.S. Volunteer Infantry
- February 15, 1867Medal of Honor presented
- February 7, 1909Died in Salinas, CaliforniaAge 64.
- Resting placeGarden of Memory Park CemeterySalinas, California
Biography
Ovila "Frenchy" Cayer (February 9, 1844 – February 7, 1909) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Globe Tavern.
From the Wikipedia article “Ovila Cayer”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
