Sergeant Robert John Coffey (December 15, 1842 – July 9, 1901) was a Canadian 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 th ...

. Coffey received the United States' 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 valor. ...

, for his action during the

Battle of Salem Church The Battle of Salem Church, also known as the Battle of Banks' Ford, took place on May 3 and 4, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War. Background After occupying Marye's Heig ...

in Virginia on 4 May 1863. He was honored with the award on 13 May 1892.

Biography

Coffey was born in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

, on 15 December 1842. At the outbreak of the war he first enlisted into the 2nd Vermont Volunteer Regiment on 3 May 1861, serving for three months. He mustered into the 4th Vermont Infantry on 10 September of that year. He was promoted to 3rd Sergeant within this company and participated in several battles including the

Siege of Yorktown (1862) The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Ma ...

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

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 ...

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

and the

Battle of Funkstown The Second Battle of Funkstown (more commonly simply referred to as the Battle of Funkstown) took place near Funkstown, Maryland, on July 10, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces of the Army of the Poto ...

. On 4 May 1863 he performed an act of bravery during the

, for which he earned a Medal of Honor. Following the war Coffey married Demis Hattie Burnham, with whom he had one child. He was involved in the hotel business in several Vermont towns and also worked as a traveling salesman. When the Vermont Soldiers' Home was established in

Bennington Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous to ...

in 1887, the board of trustees unanimously chose him to serve as its first superintendent. He was also a longtime member of the

Vermont National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

and attained the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

as a member of Governor

Urban A. Woodbury Urban Andrain Woodbury (July 11, 1838 – April 15, 1915) was an American Civil War veteran, an entrepreneur and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as mayor of Burlington, 37th lieutenant governor, and as the 45th governor of V ...

's military staff. Coffee died in Bennington on July 9, 1901, and his remains are interred at

Green Mount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as many ...

in Montpelier, Vermont.

Medal of Honor citation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffey, Robert J. 1842 births 1901 deaths People from Saint John, New Brunswick People of Vermont in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Burials at Green Mount Cemetery (Montpelier, Vermont)

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References