John Calvin Curtis (April 17, 1845 – January 17, 1917) was a Lieutenant of the Ninth Regiment
Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in the
American Civil War, and a
Medal of Honor recipient.
Curtis was born on April 17, 1845, in
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...
. He enlisted in the Ninth Regiment on August 17, 1861. On August 5, 1862, as a
Sergeant-Major at age 17, he became instrumental in repulsing a
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 ...
attack aimed at recapturing
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During heavy firing, he "voluntarily sought the line of battle and alone and unaided captured 2 prisoners, driving them before him to regimental headquarters at the point of the bayonet." For this act, Curtis received the
Medal of Honor on December 16, 1896, the only soldier from the Ninth to be so honored.
Curtis was later promoted to
First Lieutenant. He died on January 17, 1917, and was buried at
Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport.
MoH recipients' grave sites
/ref>
Medal of Honor citation
He voluntarily sought the line of battle and alone and unaided captured 2 prisoners, driving them before him to regimental headquarters at the point of the bayonet.
See also
*List of Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their ...
* List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: A–F
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, John Calvin
1845 births
1917 deaths
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
People of Connecticut in the American Civil War
Union Army officers
Burials at Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport
American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor
Military personnel from Bridgeport, Connecticut