George W. Reed (c. 1831 – December 21, 1906) was a

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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

soldier 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 th ...

and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, 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 valor. ...

, for his actions at the Battle of Globe Tavern. Born in about 1831 in

Cambria County, Pennsylvania Cambria County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,472. Its county seat is Ebensburg. The county was created on March 26, 1804, from parts of Bedford, Huntingdon, and Somerset Countie ...

, Reed was living in the city of Johnstown when he enlisted in the Army. He served as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in Company E of the

11th Pennsylvania Infantry The 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was a Union army regiment that participated in the American Civil War. It had the distinction of being the oldest unit in continuous service from Pennsylvania. History The 11th Pennsylvania was recruite ...

. During the Battle of Globe Tavern near Petersburg, Virginia, on August 21, 1864, he was captured in a thickly wooded area by a group of five

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

soldiers, including a

color bearer A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a Standard (flag), standard or Military colours, standards and guidons, military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible b ...

, from the 24th North Carolina Infantry. When it became clear that the Confederates were lost, Reed stated that they were in danger of stumbling into Union forces and being killed. He convinced the soldiers that the safest decision was to give him back his weapon and surrender themselves to him. The Confederates agreed, and Reed led them to the Union lines as his prisoners. Two weeks later, on September 6, 1864, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle, specifically for capturing the flag which the Southern color bearer had held. Reed's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Capture of flag of 24th North Carolina Volunteers ( C.S.A.)

Reed was promoted to corporal before leaving the military. He died on December 21, 1906, at age 74 or 75 and was buried at Grandview Cemetery in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. A government-issued marker was placed on his grave, however it mistakenly identified him as a Confederate soldier. A new gravestone noting his service in the Union Army and his status as a Medal of Honor recipient was dedicated at a ceremony on November 11, 2006.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, George W. 1830s births 1906 deaths People from Johnstown, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor