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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

William F. John

Private William F. John, 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, 1863Born in Germany

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private William F. John 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 E, 37th Ohio Infantry. John was 18 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 14, 1894, 31 years after the action.

John was born on October 25, 1844 in Germany — one of 130 recipients born in Germany. His Medal of Honor is credited to Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio. John died on August 29, 1927 in Hutchings, Kansas, at the age of 82. He is buried at Prattsburg Cemetery in Macksville, Kansas.

John is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 256 credited to Ohio.

Official Medal of Honor citation

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

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

Battles and campaigns

1863 · Civil War

Siege of Vicksburg

Result: Union victory

21 Medal of Honor recipients

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Germany — map
  • Died: Kansas — map
  • Buried: Prattsburg Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Ohio →

Timeline

  1. October 25, 1844
    Born in Germany
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 18. Company E, 37th Ohio Infantry
  3. July 14, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. August 29, 1927
    Died in Hutchings, Kansas
    Age 82.
  5. Resting place
    Prattsburg Cemetery
    Macksville, Kansas

Biography

William F. John (October 23, 1844 – 1927) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.

From the Wikipedia article “William John (Medal of Honor)”, 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 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 Ohio

MB Milton Blickensderger Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 LR Lewis A. Rounds Private · Army Civil War · 1864 ES Elisha B. Seaman Private · Army Civil War · 1863 David L. Cockley First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1864 LM Lewis Morgan Private · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ DM Delano Morey Private · Army Civil War · 1862
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.