Captain George Wilhelm Corliss (1834 – May 15, 1903) was an American soldier who fought in 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 ...

. Corliss received the country's highest award for bravery during combat, 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 ...

, for his action during the

Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate ...

in Virginia on 9 August 1862. He was honored with the award on 10 September 1897.

Biography

Corliss was born in Connecticut in 1834 (need reference). He enlisted into the 5th Connecticut Infantry at New Haven in Connecticut. During his act of bravery for which he earned a Medal of Honor, Corliss was injured in his right leg and was therefore captured by Confederates. He was held at

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

until he was exchanged around January 1863. He soon resigned from active service due to his disability but rejoined as a commissioned 1st lieutenant and regimental adjutant with the 3rd Veterans Reserve Corps. He was brevetted major in 1865. Corliss was married to Catherine Bounce and they resided in Mississippi where he was assistant sub-commissioner of the District of Vicksburg within the Bureau of Refugees. After leaving this post in 1869, he resided in New Haven, Connecticut, and then Manhattan, where he was an insurance broker. He was married again to Mary Harriet Munson, after the death of his first wife. His second marriage produced two children. Corliss died on 15 May 1903 and his remains are interred at the Maple Grove Cemetery in New York.

Medal of Honor citation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corliss, George W. 1834 births 1903 deaths People of Connecticut in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Connecticut

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References