Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Captain William Laing Heermance received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 30, 1863 in Chancellorsville, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company C, 6th New York Cavalry. Heermance was 26 years old.
The medal was presented on March 30, 1898, 34 years after the action.
Heermance was born on February 28, 1837 in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York. Heermance died on February 25, 1903 in Yonkers, New York, at the age of 65. He is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Yonkers, New York.
Heermance is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Took command of the regiment as its senior officer when surrounded by Stuart's Cavalry. The regiment cut its way through the enemy's line and escaped, but Capt. Heermance was desperately wounded, left for dead on the field and was taken prisoner.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
The regiment cut its way through the enemy's line and escaped, but Capt. Heermance was desperately wounded, left for dead on the field and was taken prisoner.
- Age at death: 65
- Resting place: Oakland Cemetery
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- February 28, 1837Born in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York
- April 30, 1863Act of valor — Chancellorsville, VirginiaAge 26. Company C, 6th New York Cavalry
- March 30, 1898Medal of Honor presented
- February 25, 1903Died in Yonkers, New YorkAge 65.
- Resting placeOakland CemeteryYonkers, New York
Biography
William Laing Heermance (February 28, 1837 – February 25, 1903) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. Heermance was born on February 28, 1837, and entered service at Kinderhook, New York. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism on April 30, 1863, while serving as a Captain with Company C, 6th New York Cavalry Regiment, at Chancellorsville, Virginia. His Medal of Honor was issued on March 30, 1898. He died at the age of 65, on February 25, 1903, and was buried at the Oakland Cemetery in Yonkers, New York.
From the Wikipedia article “William L. Heermance”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
