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Chief Bugler · U.S. Army

Thomas Mccoy Wells

Chief Bugler Thomas Mccoy Wells, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on October 19, 1864 at Cedar Creek, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War October 19, 1864Born in Ireland

Chief Bugler Thomas Mccoy Wells was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 19, 1864 at Cedar Creek, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 6th New York Cavalry. Wells was about 23 years old.

18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 26, 1864. He later rose to the rank of First Lieutenant.

Wells was born in 1841 in Ather, Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to DeKalb, St. Lawrence County, New York. Wells died on February 5, 1901 in Canton, New York, at the age of about 60. He is buried at East DeKalb Cemetery in DeKalb Junction, New York.

Wells is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.

★ Flags & Colors

Official Medal of Honor citation

Capture of colors of 44th Georgia Infantry (C.S.A.).

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Ireland — map
  • Died: New York — map
  • Buried: East DeKalb Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. 1841
    Born in Ather, Ireland
  2. October 19, 1864
    Act of valor — Cedar Creek, Virginia
    Age about 23. 6th New York Cavalry
  3. October 26, 1864
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. February 5, 1901
    Died in Canton, New York
    Age about 60.
  5. Resting place
    East DeKalb Cemetery
    DeKalb Junction, New York

Biography

Thomas McCoy Wells (c. 1841 – February 5, 1901) was an Irish born Union Army soldier and officer during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Cedar Creek fought near Middletown, Virginia on October 19, 1864. The battle was the decisive engagement of Major General Philip Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864 and was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley. Wells enlisted in the Army from De Kalb, New York in November 1861, and was assigned to the 6th New York Cavalry Regiment. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in January 1865, and promoted to first lieutenant the following May.

From the Wikipedia article “Thomas M. Wells”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on October 19, 1864

John W. Blunt First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 HC Henry H. Crocker Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 UC Ulric Lyons Crocker Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Henry Algernon du Pont Captain · Army Civil War · 1864 William Wirt Henry Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864 IH Ira Hough Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Frederick A. Lyon Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 AM Andrew Jackson McGonnigle Captain & Assistant Quartermaster · Army Civil War · 1864 Henry Jeremiah Parks Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Daniel P. Reigle Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 DS David H. Scofield Quartermaster Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 JS James Sweeney Private · Army Civil War · 1864

See all 19 recipients for October 19, 1864 →

More Civil War recipients from New York

AK August Kauss Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 RB Richard Beddows Private · Army Civil War · 1864 George Maltby Love Colonel · Army Civil War Orlando Emanuel Caruana Private · Army Civil War · 1862 JD John C. Donnelly Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 Theodore Schwan First Lieutenant · 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.