George Crawford Platt 1890 public domain USGov

George Crawford Platt (February 17, 1842 – June 20, 1912) was an Irish American who served with the federal army of the United States (also known as the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

) during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. A private with Troop H of the

6th U.S. Cavalry The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviation ...

, he was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

, America's highest award for valor in combat, for protecting the American flag in hand-to-hand combat near

Fairfield, Pennsylvania Fairfield is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 526 at the 2020 census. History During the Gettysburg Campaign in the American Civil War, the Battle of Fairfield played an important role in securing the ...

, during the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

on July 3, 1863.

Formative years

Born in Derry, Ireland, on February 17, 1842, George Crawford Platt was a son of Robert Platt and Martha (Kilgil) Platt, who were also both natives of Ireland. After spending his early childhood in Ireland, George Platt then emigrated sometime around 1851, and settled in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Civil War

Platt responded to President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers following the fall of Fort Sumter to

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

troops in mid-April 1861. After enlisting for a three-year term of military service in Philadelphia on August 5 of that year, Platt officially mustered in that same day as a private with Troop H of the

Transported with his regiment to

Bladensburg, Maryland Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland. The population was 9,657 at the 2020 census. Areas in Bladensburg are located within ZIP code 20710. Bladensburg is from central Washington. History Originally called Garrison's Landi ...

, on September 12, he was equipped with a sabre and pistol, put through basic training and then assigned, with his regiment, to duties related to the defense of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, until March 10, 1862, when the 6th U.S. Cavalry was moved, by way of Fairfax Court House, Centreville, Manassas, Bull Run, and Alexandria, Virginia, to

Fortress Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virg ...

. Attached to the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

, the 6th U.S. Cavalrymen were then assigned to the Peninsula Campaign. After fighting in the

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pi ...

(May 5), they participated in the

Siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...

and other interactions with the enemy during the spring and early summer of 1862, including operations at Mechanicsville (May 24) and the

Battle of Hanover Court House The Battle of Hanover Court House, also known as the Battle of Slash Church, took place on May 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. On May 27, elements of Brig. Gen. Fitz John Po ...

(May 27). Facing off against the forces of Confederate General

J.E.B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

in June, they then participated in Union operations at Falls Church, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and Middletown, the Battle of Charleston, the Leesburg expedition, and operations at Waterford, Charleston, Hillsboro, Philamont, Uniontown, Upperville, Barber's Cross Roads, Amosville, and the Rappahannock. Stationed at Belle Plain from November 24 until December 12, they then marched toward Fredericksburg, engaged briefly with the enemy, and made camp near Falmouth the following day. Attached in February 1863 to the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, which was under the command of Brigadier-General

John Buford John Buford, Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. Buford is best known for having played a major role in the first day ...

, they next fought in the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

(April 30–May 6), Stoneman's 1863 raid, and the battles of Brandy Station (June 9), Middleburg (June 17–19), and Upperville (June 21) before being ordered north to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

.Carter, "The Sixth Regiment of Cavalry", U.S. Army Center of Military History. While fighting with his regiment during day three of the

(July 3, 1863), Platt performed the act of valor for which he would later be awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor. Assigned with his regiment to attack

supply wagons near

, and prevent the possible retreat of CSA troops from the major fields of battle in and around Gettysburg, the 6th Cavalrymen encountered a significantly larger force from the 6th, 7th and 11th Virginia Cavalry, and were quickly forced into hand-to-hand combat. Retrieving the American flag after his regiment's color-bearer was killed, Platt fought off the enemy in order to prevent that flag from falling into enemy hands. Afterward, Platt and the 6th Cavalry continued to pursue the enemy, and re-engaged with Confederate troops at Funkstown (July 7), Boonsboro (July 8–9), and Funkstown again (July 10). According to Captain William Carter, U.S. Army, "The service of the th U.S. Cavalryduring the period between the action at Beverly Ford and the last affair at Funkstown was one of incessant marching and fighting, and although nearly decimated by the casualties of action, the brave little band hung on to Lee's army with a courageous tenacity." Stationed in Germantown, Maryland, from August 8–September 12, Platt and the 6th U.S. Cavalry fought again with the enemy at Brandy Station, Culpeper, and Centreville before settling into winter quarters. Still stationed in Virginia during the spring of 1862, they resumed major actions against the enemy during the

Battle of Todd's Tavern The Battle of Todd's Tavern was fought in Virginia during the American Civil War. The Battle of the Wilderness On May 4, 1864, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 122,000-man Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee's 66,000-man Army of Northern Virgini ...

(May 7), and then engaged in the raid on Richmond (beginning May 9), the

Battle of Trevilian Station The Battle of Trevilian Station (also called Trevilians) was fought on June 11–12, 1864, in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Union cavalry under Maj. ...

(June 11–12), and the

Second Battle of Deep Bottom The Second Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Fussell's Mill (particularly in the South), New Market Road, Bailey's Creek, Charles City Road, or White's Tavern was fought August 14–20, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, durin ...

(August 14–20). Platt and other members of the 6th U.S. Cavalry were then detailed to service as the body guard for Union Major-General

Philip H. Sheridan Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

, a duty he performed only briefly. With his initial three-year term of service set to expire before the end of the summer, Platt opted to muster out honorably on August 5.

Post-war life

Following his honorable discharge from the military in August 1864, Platt returned home to Philadelphia, where he wed Pennsylvania native Eliza Kelly. Working as a huckster in 1870, he resided in Philadelphia's 7th Ward with his wife and their Pennsylvania-born children: Robert, Edward, Martha, and Margaret. Employed as a ship's carpenter by 1880, his Philadelphia household had grown to include children: Levina/Levinia, George C., Elizabeth, and Ellen. A son, William Henry, did not survive infancy. Son Frank arrived in July 1882."Platt, George C., Eliza, Edward, Levina, Ella, Frank", in U.S. Census (1900). By 1888, the elder George Platt was employed as a contractor. A naturalized citizen of the United States by 1910, George Platt continued to reside in Philadelphia with his wife, Eliza. Still living with them was 44-year-old son, Edward. Post-war, Platt was also an active member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

Death and interment

On June 20, 1912, Platt died from endocarditis in

, at the age of 70. He was then buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in

Yeadon, Pennsylvania Yeadon is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It borders the city of Philadelphia. The population was 11,443 at the 2010 census. Geography Yeadon is located in eastern Delaware County at (39.932862, -75.251540). It is bordered on the sou ...

, on June 24.

Medal of Honor citation and other honors

Platt was initially honored for his gallantry during the American Civil War with the United States' highest award for valor in combat — the U.S. Medal of Honor. His citation reads:

Seized the regimental flag upon the death of the standard bearer in a hand-to-hand fight and prevented it from falling into the hands of the enemy.

In 1979, the

George C. Platt Bridge The George C. Platt Memorial Bridge is a through truss bridge that carries PA 291 (Penrose Avenue) over the Schuylkill River in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was opened to traffic in 1951, replacing a swing bridge to the south which ca ...

(formerly known as the Penrose Avenue Bridge), in southeast

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, was renamed in his honor. Platt's great-grandson, Lawrence Griffin Platt, led the effort to have the bridge renamed. A painting of Platt by Don Stivers is displayed in the National Gallery of Art in

References

External links

6th Cavalry Museum ("About Us")
Oglethorpe, Georgia. *
George Crawford Platt
(memorial, gravesite information and photographs). Salt Lake City, Utah: Find A Grave, retrieved online July 2, 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, George Crawford 1842 births 1912 deaths Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery (Yeadon, Pennsylvania) United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army non-commissioned officers Union Army soldiers Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Irish soldiers in the United States Army American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from County Londonderry