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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

William Steinmetz

Private William Steinmetz, 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

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private William Steinmetz 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 G, 83d Indiana Infantry. Steinmetz was 15 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 12, 1894, 31 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Corporal.

Steinmetz was born on September 2, 1847 in Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky. His Medal of Honor is credited to Sunman, Ripley County, Indiana. Steinmetz died on June 10, 1903, at the age of 55. He is buried at Wesleyan Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Steinmetz 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

1863 · Civil War

Siege of Vicksburg

Result: Union victory

21 Medal of Honor recipients

Also served in: American Civil War.

Places

  • Born: Newport — map
  • Died: Cincinnati — map
  • Buried: Wesleyan Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Indiana →

Timeline

  1. September 2, 1847
    Born in Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 15. Company G, 83d Indiana Infantry
  3. July 12, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. June 10, 1903
    Died
    Age 55.
  5. Resting place
    Wesleyan Cemetery
    Cincinnati, Ohio

Biography

William Steinmetz (September 2, 1847, in Newport, Kentucky – June 10, 1903) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

From the Wikipedia article “William Steinmetz”, 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 Indiana

JP Joseph Rollin Prentice Private · Army Civil War · 1862 George Lovell Banks Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 RT Richard Taylor Private · Army Civil War · 1864 CS Charles H. Seston Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ WT William P. Thompson Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ JD John Davis Private · Army Civil War · 1865
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.