Private Richard J. Gage was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 2, 1863 at Elk River, Tennessee during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 104th Illinois Infantry. Gage was about 21 years old.
27 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 30, 1897, 34 years after the action.
Gage was born in 1842 in Grafton County, New Hampshire. His Medal of Honor is credited to Ottawa, La Salle Couinty, Illinois. Gage died on April 28, 1903 in Seneca, Illinois, at the age of about 61. He is buried at Woodside Cemetery in Seneca, Illinois.
Gage 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
Voluntarily joined a small party that, under a heavy fire, captured a stockade and saved the bridge.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →
Timeline
- 1842Born in Grafton County, New Hampshire
- July 2, 1863Act of valor — Elk River, TennesseeAge about 21. Company D, 104th Illinois Infantry
- October 30, 1897Medal of Honor presented
- April 28, 1903Died in Seneca, IllinoisAge about 61.
- Resting placeWoodside CemeterySeneca, Illinois
Biography
Richard J. Gage (1842 – April 28, 1903) was a soldier in the 104th Illinois Infantry during the American Civil War. On July 2, 1863, he volunteered for an attack on a blockhouse by the Elk River in Tennessee. On October 30, 1897, he received the Medal of Honor, the highest decoration in the U.S. military, for his participation in this action. Gage joined the 104th Illinois Infantry in August 1862. He was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga, and was incarcerated at Libby Prison for the next 6 months. Gage was discharged in February 1865.
From the Wikipedia article “Richard Gage”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
