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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

First Lieutenant · U.S. Army

Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr.

First Lieutenant Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr., Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on October 27, 1864 at Boydton Plank Road, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War October 27, 1864

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, First Lieutenant Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr. received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 27, 1864 at Boydton Plank Road, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company G, 99th Pennsylvania Infantry. Bonnaffon was 20 years old.

15 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on September 29, 1893, 28 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.

Bonnaffon was born on September 14, 1844 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Bonnaffon died on May 12, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 77. He is buried at Woodland Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Bonnaffon is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Checked the rout and rallied the troops of his command in the face of a terrible fire of musketry; was severely wounded.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Philadelphia — map
  • Died: Philadelphia — map
  • Buried: The Woodlands — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. September 14, 1844
    Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
  2. October 27, 1864
    Act of valor — Boydton Plank Road, Virginia
    Age 20. Company G, 99th Pennsylvania Infantry
  3. September 29, 1893
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. May 12, 1922
    Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Age 77.
  5. Resting place
    Woodland Cemetery
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Biography

Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr. (September 14, 1844 – May 12, 1922) was a United States soldier who fought with the Union Army during the American Civil War as a first lieutenant with Company G of the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry. He received his nation's highest award for valor, the U.S. Medal of Honor, for his gallantry and leadership against Confederate troops during the Battle of Boydton Plank Road, Virginia on October 27, 1864. That award was conferred on September 29, 1893.

From the Wikipedia article “Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr.”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on October 27, 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 Joseph Sewall Smith Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864

See all 16 recipients for October 27, 1864 →

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

HH Henderson Calvin Howard Corporal · Army Civil War · 1862 GP George Crawford Platt Private · Army Civil War · 1863 John Frederic Hartranft Colonel · Army Civil War · 1861 AH Amzi Davis Harmon Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 HT Henry A. Thompson Private · Marine Corps Civil War · 1865 NL Nicholas Lear Quartermaster · Navy 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.