Corporal Thomas Parker 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

soldier of the

2nd Rhode Island Infantry The 2nd Rhode Island Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment composed of volunteers from the state of Rhode Island that served with the Union Army in the American Civil War. They, along with the 1st Rhode Island, wore a very simple uniform ...

who received 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 valo ...

for heroism 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 ...

Biography

Thomas Parker was born in 1822 in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, Parker enlisted as a private in Company D of the

on June 6, 1861. He re-enlisted in the regiment on December 26, 1863. On June 17, 1864, the regiment was re-organized following the discharge of the original three year enlistees and Parker was transferred to Company B and promoted to

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- ...

. He was wounded in action near

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

, on September 19, 1864. Corporal Parker received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the

Third Battle of Petersburg The Third Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Breakthrough at Petersburg or the Fall of Petersburg, was fought on April 2, 1865, south and southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, at the end of the 292-day Richmond–Petersburg Campaign (sometimes ...

, Virginia and 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, ...

, Virginia on April 2, 1865, and April 6, 1865. He was mustered out of service with his regiment on July 13, 1865. Parker's Medal of Honor was officially awarded on May 29, 1867. After the war, Parker lived in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He died in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

on April 27, 1872. He was originally interred in the American Mechanics Cemetery in Philadelphia. After that burial ground was closed in May 1951, he was re-interred to Philadelphia Memorial Cemetery in

Frazer, Pennsylvania Frazer is a census-designated place (CDP) in East Whiteland Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along US 30 between Exton and Malvern, and is the northern terminus for Pennsylvania Route 352. The Philadelphia ...

Medal of Honor citation

''Planted the first color on the enemy's works. Carried the regimental colors over the creek after the regiment had broken and been repulsed.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Thomas (Medal of Honor) 1822 births 1872 deaths Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor