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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Corporal · U.S. Army

Thomas C. Murphy

Corporal Thomas C. Murphy, 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

Corporal Thomas C. Murphy, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company I, 31st Illinois Infantry. Murphy was about 21 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 14, 1893, 30 years after the action.

Murphy was born in 1842. His Medal of Honor is credited to Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois. Murphy died on December 31, 1920 in Biloxi, Mississippi, at the age of about 78. He is buried at Green Valley Cemetery in Green Valley, Illinois. His medal is held by Tazewell County of Deeds Office, Pekin, IL.

Murphy 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 crossed the line of heavy fire of Union and Confederate forces, carrying a message to stop the firing of one Union regiment on another.

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

Timeline

  1. 1842
    Born
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age about 21. Company I, 31st Illinois Infantry
  3. August 14, 1893
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. December 31, 1920
    Died in Biloxi, Mississippi
    Age about 78.
  5. Resting place
    Green Valley Cemetery
    Green Valley, Illinois

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 TB Thomas A. Blasdel Private · 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

See all 100 recipients for May 22, 1863 →

More Civil War recipients from Illinois

Nineveh S. McKeen First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 Wells Howard Blodgett First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 AA Abner Peeler Allen Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 JV James David Vernay Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 HT Henry H. Taylor Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 Patrick Henry Pentzer Captain · Army Civil War · 1865
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.