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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Captain · U.S. Army

Richard H. Wood

Captain Richard H. Wood, 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

Captain Richard H. Wood was a soldier in the U.S. Army who 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 A, 97th Illinois Infantry. Wood was 29 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on December 12, 1895, 32 years after the action.

Wood was born on November 15, 1833 in Canton, Salem County, New Jersey. His Medal of Honor is credited to Woodburn, Macoupin County, Illinois. Wood died on March 8, 1903 in Bunker Hill, Illinois, at the age of 69. He is buried at Woodburn Cemetery in Woodburn, Illinois.

Wood is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 210 credited to Illinois.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Led the "volunteer storming party," which made a most gallant assault upon the enemy's works.

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

Places

  • Buried: Woodburn Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →

Timeline

  1. November 15, 1833
    Born in Canton, Salem County, New Jersey
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 29. Company A, 97th Illinois Infantry
  3. December 12, 1895
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. March 8, 1903
    Died in Bunker Hill, Illinois
    Age 69.
  5. Resting place
    Woodburn Cemetery
    Woodburn, Illinois

Biography

Richard H. Wood (November 15, 1833 - March 8, 1903) was an American soldier and recipient of the Medal of Honor.

From the Wikipedia article “Richard H. Wood”, 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 Illinois

Andrew Jackson Smith Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ Henry Fox Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 RM Robinson Barr Murphy Musician · Army Civil War · 1864 OS Oscar Slagle Private · Army Civil War · 1863 Patrick Henry Pentzer Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 PH Patrick Highland Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865
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.