Smith Larimer (March 17, 1829 – February 20, 1881) was a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

in the 2nd Ohio Cavalry,

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 ...

and a

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. ...

recipient for his actions at the

Battle of Sayler's Creek The Battle of Sailor's Creek was fought on April 6, 1865, near Farmville, Virginia, as part of the Appomattox Campaign, near the end of the American Civil War. It was the last major engagement between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, ...

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 ...

Biography

Born on March 17, 1829, in

Richland County, Ohio Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 124,936. Its county seat is Mansfield. The county was created in 1808 and later organized in 1813. It is named for the fertile soil found ...

, Larimer enlisted in the Army from

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. By April 6, 1865, he was serving as a

in Company G of the 2nd Ohio Cavalry. On that day, during the

in Virginia, he captured the flag of Confederate General

Joseph B. Kershaw Joseph Brevard Kershaw (January 5, 1822 – April 13, 1894) was a prominent South Carolina planter and slaveholder. He was also a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Early life Kershaw was born on January 5, 182 ...

's headquarters. For this action, he was awarded the

a month later, on May 3. Larimer's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Capture of flag of General Kershaw's headquarters.

Larimer died at age 51 on February 20, 1881, and was buried in

Mansfield, Ohio Mansfield is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Ohio, United States. Located midway between Columbus and Cleveland via Interstate 71, it is part of Northeast Ohio region in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau. The city ...

. He was one of five people from Richland County to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during the Civil War, the others being David L. Cockley, Joseph Hedges, John H. Ricksecker, and James Wiley.

References

External links

* 1829 births 1881 deaths People from Richland County, Ohio People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor {{US-army-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References

External links