George Maltby Love was a colonel

Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...

 in the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 and a Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 recipient for his actions in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

.

Civil War

Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He enlisted in the 21st New York Volunteer Infantry on May 9, 1861, and was mustered in as the regiment's Sergeant Major on May 20, 1861. He served in that duty until August 23, 1861, when he was transferred to the 44th New York Volunteer Infantry and promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the unit's Company A. Promoted to Captain and commander on January 2, 1862, he led his troops through the spring and summer of that year. On August 20, 1862 he was again promoted and transferred, this time to the 116th New York Volunteer Infantry, where he was commissioned Major. In May 1863 he was promoted to Colonel and commander of the 116th, replacing Colonel Edwin Payson Chapin, who was killed in action. Severely wounded during the 1863 Siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, while in command of his men during the October 19, 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, he captured the Battleflag of the 2nd South Carolina (CSA) Infantry, an act he was awarded the CMOH for on March 6, 1865. Brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers the next day, March 7, 1865, he was honorably mustered out of the Volunteer service on June 8, 1865.

Later Life and death

He enlisted in the Regular Army in 1867, being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 11th United States Infantry. Retiring as a 1st Lieutenant in 1883, he received brevets up to Colonel, US Regular Army. Not much is known about his life after retiring. He died
of natural causes on March 15, 1887 at the age of 56.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Colonel, 116th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864. Entered service at: New York. Birth: New York. Date of issue: March 6, 1865.

Citation:

Capture of battle flag of 2d South Carolina (C.S.A.).

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L

External links