Henry H. Crocker
Encyclopedia
Henry H. Crocker was a Union Army
officer during the American Civil War
. He received the Medal of Honor
for gallantry during the Battle of Cedar Creek
fought near Middletown, Virginia
on October 19, 1864. The battle was the decisive engagement of Major General
Philip Sheridan’s
Valley Campaigns of 1864
and was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley
.
When the war broke out Crocker was living in San Francisco, California
. He joined one hundred other pro-Union California men who returned east to fight. The so called “California Hundred” was organized as a cavalry troop and sent via ship to Camp Meigs in Massachusetts
. There they were designated Company A and joined by seven cavalry companies from Massachusetts to form the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry
. Crocker eventually became captain of Company F.
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...
officer during 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...
. He received the 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...
for gallantry during the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
fought near Middletown, Virginia
Middletown, Virginia
Middletown is a town in Frederick County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,265 at the 2010 census.- History :Belle Grove Plantation, about a mile southwest of Middletown, was first settled in about 1750 and its historic Federal-style manor house was completed in 1797...
on October 19, 1864. The battle was the decisive engagement of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Philip Sheridan’s
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
and was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
.
When the war broke out Crocker was living in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. He joined one hundred other pro-Union California men who returned east to fight. The so called “California Hundred” was organized as a cavalry troop and sent via ship to Camp Meigs in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. There they were designated Company A and joined by seven cavalry companies from Massachusetts to form the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry
2nd Regiment of Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers
The 2nd Regiment of Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers was a regiment of cavalry troops in the Union army during the American Civil War. It consisted primarily of men from the states of California and Massachusetts, and served in the Eastern Theater, despite its western roots.-History:Politicians at...
. Crocker eventually became captain of Company F.
Medal of Honor citation
“The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain Henry H. Crocker, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 19 October 1864, while serving with Company F, 2d Massachusetts Cavalry, in action at Cedar Creek, Virginia. Captain Crocker voluntarily led a charge, which resulted in the capture of 14 prisoners and in which he himself was wounded.”See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: A-F