Private Richard H. Cosgriff, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on April 16, 1865 in Columbus, Georgia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company L, 4th Iowa Cavalry. Cosgriff was 20 years old.
6 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on June 17, 1865.
Cosgriff was born on December 15, 1844 in Dunkirk County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa. Cosgriff died on November 2, 1910, at the age of 65. He is buried at Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Cosgriff is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 55 credited to Iowa.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Capture of flag in a personal encounter with its bearer.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Timeline
- December 15, 1844Born in Dunkirk County, New York
- April 16, 1865Act of valor — Columbus, GeorgiaAge 20. Company L, 4th Iowa Cavalry
- June 17, 1865Medal of Honor presented
- November 2, 1910DiedAge 65.
- Resting placeOur Lady of Hope CemeteryChippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Biography
Richard H. Cosgriff, Sr., (December 15, 1845 – November 2, 1910) 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. An Irish immigrant, his family eventually settled in Wisconsin, where he would spend most of the rest of his life. Enlisting in an Iowa cavalry regiment, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate battle flag during an engagement in the last month of the war. After returning to Wisconsin, he worked as a businessman in the lumber and printing industries until his death at age 64.
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