William H. Appleton (March 24, 1843 - September 9, 1912) was an American soldier 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 valor. ...

for valor 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 ...

Biography

William was born on the 24th of March, 1843, in

Chichester, New Hampshire Chichester is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,665 at the 2020 census. History Chichester was granted in 1727 to Nathaniel Gookin and others,Article i''Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire'' ...

, where his father was a wheelwright. Bill enlisted in the

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 ...

in May 1861 at the age of 19 and was assigned to Company I of the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry. Bill fought at First Manassas, the Peninsula Campaign, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg before joining a newly formed unit, the 4th US Colored Infantry. This unit was formed in Baltimore, Maryland on the 15th of July, 1863, and William Appleton joined Company H as a Second Lieutenant in August that same year. It was his actions at the Second Battle of Petersburg that would earn him a promotion and the Medal of Honor. William Appleton was able to lead the charge and was unscathed at the end. One other officer was killed, along with five others wounded in the same battle. Bill was promoted to captain and moved to command Company E, where they would go on to fight at and capture Fort Fisher in January 1865. Appleton and the 4th US Colored Infantry were mustered out of service in May 1866 and little else is known about his post service life is known. Bill was brevet promoted to Major before his end of service and Bill received his Medal of Honor on the 18th of February, 1891. William Appleton died on the 9th of September, 1912, at the age of 69 years old and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Pembroke, New Hampshire.

Medal of Honor citation

Citation:

The first man of the Eighteenth Corps to enter the enemy's works at Petersburg, Va., 15 June 1864. Valiant service in a desperate assault at New Market Heights, Va., inspiring the Union troops by his example of steady courage.Congressional Medal of Honor Society
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References

External links

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Military TimesTales of Honor Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Appleton, William H. 1843 births 1912 deaths Appleton family Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People of New Hampshire in the American Civil War People from Chichester, New Hampshire American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

External links