Lieutenant Sylvester Hopkins Martin, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on August 19, 1864 in Weldon Railroad, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company K, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry. Martin was 23 years old.
4 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on April 5, 1894, 29 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Captain.
Martin was born on August 9, 1841 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Martin died on September 25, 1927 in Erie, Pennsylvania, at the age of 86. He is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Martin 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
Gallantly made a most dangerous reconnaissance, discovering the position of the enemy and enabling the division to repulse an attack made in strong force.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Places
- Buried: Mount Moriah Cemetery — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →
Timeline
- August 9, 1841Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania
- August 19, 1864Act of valor — Weldon Railroad, VirginiaAge 23. Company K, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry
- April 5, 1894Medal of Honor presented
- September 25, 1927Died in Erie, PennsylvaniaAge 86.
- Resting placeMount Moriah CemeteryPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography
Sylvester Hopkins Martin (August 9, 1841 – September 25, 1927) 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, for his actions at the August 19, 1864 Battle of Weldon Railroad (aka Globe Tavern), Virginia.
From the Wikipedia article “Sylvester H. Martin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
