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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Thomas A. Blasdel

Private Thomas A. Blasdel, 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

Private Thomas A. Blasdel 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 H, 83d Indiana Infantry. Blasdel was 20 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 11, 1894, 31 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Corporal.

Blasdel was born on January 2, 1843 in Dearborn County, Indiana. His Medal of Honor is credited to Guilford, Dearborn County, Indiana. Blasdel died on October 12, 1932 in Sylvia, Kansas, at the age of 89. He is buried at Fairlawn Cemetery in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Blasdel is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 75 credited to Indiana.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Gallantry in the charge of the "volunteer storming party."

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Indiana — map
  • Died: Kansas — map
  • Buried: Fairlawn Burial Park — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Indiana →

Timeline

  1. January 2, 1843
    Born in Dearborn County, Indiana
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 20. Company H, 83d Indiana Infantry
  3. August 11, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. October 12, 1932
    Died in Sylvia, Kansas
    Age 89.
  5. Resting place
    Fairlawn Cemetery
    Hutchinson, Kansas

Biography

Thomas A. Blasdel (His surname is sometimes listed as Blasedale) (January 2, 1843 – October 12, 1932) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the 1863 Siege of Vicksburg. Blasdel enlisted in the Union army at 19 years old in August, 1862, during the Civil War. He went on to get promoted to Private, and from there to Corporal.

From the Wikipedia article “Thomas A. Blasdel”, 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 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 HB Henry G. Buhrman Private · Army Civil War · 1863

See all 100 recipients for May 22, 1863 →

More Civil War recipients from Indiana

DF Daniel Tweed Ferrier Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 PW Perry Wilkes Pilot · Navy Civil War · 1864 Orville Tyron Chamberlain Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 JD John Ditzenback Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 WH William T. Holmes Private · Army Civil War · 1865 Henry Ware Lawton Captain · Army Civil War · 1864
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.