James Joseph Quinlan (September 13, 1833 – August 29, 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 ...

officer 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 th ...

and a recipient of America's highest military 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 Savage's Station The Battle of Savage's Station took place on June 29, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as the fourth of the Seven Days Battles ( Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. The main body of the Union Army of the Potomac began a general withdr ...

. Quinlan was appointed as

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

of the 88th New York Infantry in December 1861. He became the regiment's

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in October 1862, and was discharged in February 1863.Regimental roster
/ref> After the war, he became a companion of the New York Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

. Quinlan was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens County, New York.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: :Rank and organization: Major, 88th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Savage Station, Va., June 29, 1862. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: September 13, 1833, Ireland. Date of issue: February 18, 1891. Citation: :Led his regiment on the enemy's battery, silenced the guns, held the position against overwhelming numbers, and covered the retreat of the 2d Army Corps.

References

1833 births 1906 deaths 19th-century Irish people Irish soldiers in the United States Army United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients Union Army officers Irish emigrants to the United States American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor People from Clonmel Military personnel from County Tipperary {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References