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Lieutenant · U.S. Army

Wilmon Whilldin Blackmar

Lieutenant Wilmon Whilldin Blackmar, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 1, 1865 in Five Forks, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War April 1, 1865

Lieutenant Wilmon Whilldin Blackmar was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 1, 1865 in Five Forks, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company H, 1st West Virginia Cavalry. Blackmar was 23 years old.

21 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 23, 1897, 32 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Captain.

Blackmar was born on July 25, 1841 in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Blackmar died on July 16, 1905 in Boise, Idaho, at the age of 63. He is buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Blackmar is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

Official Medal of Honor citation

At a critical stage of the battle, without orders, led a successful advance upon the enemy.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Life beyond the battlefield

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Bristol — map
  • Died: Boise — map
  • Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. July 25, 1841
    Born in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
  2. April 1, 1865
    Act of valor — Five Forks, Virginia
    Age 23. Company H, 1st West Virginia Cavalry
  3. October 23, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. July 16, 1905
    Died in Boise, Idaho
    Age 63.
  5. Resting place
    Cedar Grove Cemetery
    Dorchester, Massachusetts

Biography

Wilmon Whilldin Blackmar (July 25, 1841 – July 16, 1905) was a United States military officer who fought with the Union Army as a member of the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry and the 1st West Virginia Cavalry during the American Civil War. He received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the U.S. Medal of Honor, for his "extraordinary heroism" for taking the initiative, during a critical stage of the Battle of Five Forks on April 1, 1865, to lead a successful advance upon the enemy while fighting with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry. His award was conferred on October 23, 1897.

From the Wikipedia article “Wilmon W. Blackmar”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on April 1, 1865

William Henry harrison Benyaurd First Lieutenant, Engineers · Army Civil War · 1865 HB Henry G. Bonebrake First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 HD Hiram Adolphus Delavie Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 DE David Edwards Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AE Adelbert Everson Private · Army Civil War · 1865 Albert E. Fernald First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 Eugene W. Ferris First Lieutenant & Adjutant · Army Civil War · 1865 Charles N. Gardner Private · Army Civil War · 1865 James G. Grindlay Colonel · Army Civil War · 1865 AK August Kauss Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 Jacob Koogle First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 TM Thomas J. Murphy First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865

See all 22 recipients for April 1, 1865 →

Same unit

FC Francis Marion Cunningham First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

Peter McAdams Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 TK Theodore L. Kramer Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Matthew Stanley Quay Colonel · Army Civil War · 1862 JS John Shiel Corporal · Army Civil War · 1862 JJ James T. Jennings Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Edward Lyons Gilligan First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863
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.