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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Army

Sylvester D. Rhodes

Sergeant Sylvester D. Rhodes, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on September 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War September 22, 1864

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Sergeant Sylvester D. Rhodes received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Rhodes was about 22 years old.

4 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on February 16, 1897, 32 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Captain.

Rhodes was born in December 1842 in Plains, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Rhodes died on August 29, 1904 in Parsons, Pennsylvania, at the age of about 62. He is buried at Hollenbeck Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Rhodes 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

Was on the skirmish line which drove the enemy from the first entrenchment and was the first man to enter the breastworks, capturing one of the guns and turning it upon the enemy.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Plains — map
  • Died: Pennsylvania — map
  • Buried: Hollenback Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. December 1842
    Born in Plains, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
  2. September 22, 1864
    Act of valor — Fisher's Hill, Virginia
    Age about 22. Company D, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry
  3. February 16, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. August 29, 1904
    Died in Parsons, Pennsylvania
    Age about 62.
  5. Resting place
    Hollenbeck Cemetery
    Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Biography

Sylvester D. Rhodes (December 1, 1842 – August 29, 1904) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Fisher's Hill near Strasburg, Virginia fought September 21–22, 1864. The battle was one of the engagements of the Valley campaigns of 1864. Rhodes joined the army from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in September 1861. He was commissioned as an officer in December 1864, and was mustered out in June 1865.

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

Also honored for actions on September 22, 1864

JC James Connors Private · Army Civil War · 1864 JC John Creed Private · Army Civil War · 1864 GM George G. Moore Private · Army Civil War · 1864 EW Edward Newton Whittier First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

PD Patrick Delacey First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 HS Henry C. Slusher Private · Army Civil War · 1863 St. Clair Agustin Mulholland Major · Army Civil War · 1863 TM Theodore Mitchell Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AY Andrew J. Young Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 Horace Porter Captain · Army Civil War · 1863
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.