Harrison H. Jeffords (August 21, 1836 – July 3, 1863) was the

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 o ...

of the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

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 ...

. He was noted for his heroism on July 2, 1863, during the

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 ...

, in which he died while protecting the United States flag. Jeffords was born in New York, but his family eventually moved to Michigan, where Harrison soon took up the study of law. As a practicing lawyer in Dexter, Michigan during the outbreak of the Civil War, his patriotism urged him to enlist in the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry as a lieutenant in Company K. Later, on May 1, 1862, he became captain of Company C, and later rose to the command of the regiment, as its Colonel, on November 26, 1862. The Fourth Michigan Infantry and Harrison Jeffords saw action in several of the major battles in the Eastern Theater while serving in the

. While Colonel Jeffords was back in Michigan on a recruiting trip, the ladies of

Monroe, Michigan Monroe is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Monroe had a population of 20,462 in the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but the two are administered auton ...

, presented him with a new national flag to replace the regiment's original flag, which had been badly damaged in recent battles. Jeffords stated that he would defend the flag with his life. During the second day at Gettysburg, the color-bearer of the regiment dropped this flag, and as Colonel Jeffords advanced to retrieve it, he fought with the

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 1 ...

soldier who had seized the flag, as he grasped the banner himself. In the ensuing melee, Jeffords received a gunshot wound to the thigh and was bayoneted by a Confederate soldier in the left abdomen, a mortal wound for the 26-year-old officer. He died at 4 am the next day, on July 3, 1863. His final words were said to be "Mother, mother, mother." Jeffords became the highest commissioned officer in the Civil War to die of a bayonet wound. His body was sent home to

Dexter, Michigan Dexter is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,067 at the 2010 census. Dexter Township is located to the northwest and does not border the city, and the two are administered autonomously. The townsh ...

, after the battle, where approximately 2,000 people attended the funeral of its beloved hero. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Dexter. After the war, the regiment erected its monument on the battlefield near the point at which the colonel fell. Despite popular belief, the monument's image of the color-bearer is not a representation of Colonel Harrison Herbert Jeffords. Besides lacking Colonel Jefford's ever-present "

goatee A goatee is a style of facial hair incorporating hair on one's chin but not the cheeks. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture. Description Until the late 20th century, the term ''goatee'' was used to refer sol ...

" styled beard, the soldier depicted does not have on the Colonel's uniform, but is actually outfitted according to postwar army regulation. However, there is a verse inscribed in dedication to the Fourth Michigan's fallen leader, on the opposite side of the monument.

In popular media

*In the eighth episode of the eighth season of "The Office", in the episode entitled "Gettysburg", character

Andy Bernard Andrew Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the NBC comedy television series ''The Office (U.S. TV series), The Office'', portrayed by Ed Helms. He is introduced in Season 3 as the Regional Director in Charge of Sales at the Stamford br ...

mentions Jeffords while talking about flags. *Jeffords also appears in Civil War Combat's first episode, The Wheatfield at Gettysburg, which describes his death. *Civil War Journal also mentions Jeffords and his flag in the episode, "Banners of Glory"

External links

"Crossing Hell on a Wooden Bridge" the History of the Fourth Michigan Infantry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeffords, Harrison 1836 births 1863 deaths Union Army colonels Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Deaths by bayonet People of Michigan in the American Civil War People from Dexter, Michigan