Walter Thorn
Encyclopedia
Walter Thorn was a Union Army
officer in the American Civil War
. On December 8, 1898 he received the Medal of Honor
for his action while serving as a Second Lieutenant in the 116th United States Colored Troops
, a unit made up of white officers and African-American soldiers.
.
Thorn received a medal for hand to hand combat in which he captured a Confederate officer, an action that was personally witnessed by General Ulysses S. Grant
. He attained the rank of Major
before his discharge at the end of the war.
It was at the beginning of January, 1865. General Butler
, commanding the Army of the James
, was expected to reach and capture Richmond by operating on the south side of the James River
. His movements were blocked by the sinking of obstructions which rendered it impossible for him to navigate the stream, and by a powerful Confederate
battery at French Beach.
To overcome these difficulties the resourceful Butler had caused a canal to be cut through the Dutch Gap
peninsula, so that the enemy's batteries could be flanked and the obstructions in the river passed by the navy.
Nothing remained to be done but remove the great earthen bulkhead that separated the two bodies of water. This had been sapped and galleried, and more powder was packed away in it than was used in blowing up the famous "Crater" at Petersburg. The main body of troops had been drawn off from the neighborhood of the vast mine for safety, and it was supposed that none had been left behind but the few whose duty it was to light the fuse and then escape.
The supreme moment had arrived. The fuse had been lighted, and the officers were standing in a group at a safe distance discussing the question whether the work was to be crowned with success.
A member of General Butler's staff galloped up and shouted excitedly: "Has the guard opposite the bulkhead been withdrawn?
Somebody answered, hardly articulately, rather with a sort of gasp: "No!"
There was a score of men in the guard. There were tons of powder beside them. Fire was eating its way up the fuse and might at any second set loose the terrific force of the mine.
The bravery of the officers before whose minds those thoughts flashed could not be doubted — it had been proved too often for that —but to go and warn the squad seemed so utterly beyond reason, so surely a useless throwing away of another life, that they stood there rigid and pale, with one exception - Walter Thorn, first lieutenant of the U. S. Colored Infantry, who hesitated, but only long enough to form a resolve. Then he dashed off in the direction of the bulkhead.
Perceiving his intention, his fellow officers called to him to return — warned him, pleaded with him. Paying no heed, he ran on, reached the bulkhead, climbed to its summit, faced the storm of bullets that the rebels directed at him, and stood there until he had ordered the picket guard to flee to a place of safety.
He leaped from the top of the mine; the explosion took place; the earth was scattered in all directions and a great abyss remained, but the young lieutenant was unharmed.
"It was as deliberate an act of self-sacrifice and valor as was ever performed in our country or any other," said one of his superior officers.
Name: Thorn, Walter Rank: Second Lieutenant Organization: Company G, 116th U.S. Colored Troops Place: Dutch Gap Canal, Virginia Date: 1 January 1865 Birth: New York, New York Date of Issue: 8 December 1898
.
In 1879 Thorn joined the New York National Guard as a Captain, and commanded a company before resigning his commission in 1883.
Thorn remained active in veterans' organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic
. In the early 1900s he served as commander of the Medal of Honor Legion
. He also served as President of the War Veterans and Sons Association.
. Near the end of his life he donated many of his medals and other mementos to the American Numismatic Society
.
Thorn was the head librarian at the National Soldiers' Home in Hampton, Virginia, where he died on July 20, 1920. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
, Section 2 Lot 3689-WH.
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 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...
. On December 8, 1898 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 his action while serving as a Second Lieutenant in the 116th United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
, a unit made up of white officers and African-American soldiers.
Military service
After completing his education, Thorn enlisted for the Civil War and served in the 13th and 52nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiments before receiving a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 116th Infantry, United States Colored Troops116th Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops
The 116th Regiment, United States Colored Troops was an American Civil War era Union Army organization made up of African-American troops and white officers.- Organization and Assignment History :The 116th Regiment, U.S.C.T...
.
Thorn received a medal for hand to hand combat in which he captured a Confederate officer, an action that was personally witnessed by General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. He attained the rank of Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
before his discharge at the end of the war.
Medal of Honor action
From pages 477 to 478 of 1901's "Deeds of Valor: How America's Heroes Won the Medal of Honor" by Oscar Frederick Keydel:It was at the beginning of January, 1865. General Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
, commanding the Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
, was expected to reach and capture Richmond by operating on the south side of the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
. His movements were blocked by the sinking of obstructions which rendered it impossible for him to navigate the stream, and by a powerful Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
battery at French Beach.
To overcome these difficulties the resourceful Butler had caused a canal to be cut through the Dutch Gap
Dutch Gap
Dutch Gap is located on the James River in Chesterfield County, Virginia near the site of the lost 17th-century city of Henricus.In 1611, Sir Thomas Dale, according to a method he had learned while campaigning in Holland, cut a ditch across a portion of land behind town...
peninsula, so that the enemy's batteries could be flanked and the obstructions in the river passed by the navy.
Nothing remained to be done but remove the great earthen bulkhead that separated the two bodies of water. This had been sapped and galleried, and more powder was packed away in it than was used in blowing up the famous "Crater" at Petersburg. The main body of troops had been drawn off from the neighborhood of the vast mine for safety, and it was supposed that none had been left behind but the few whose duty it was to light the fuse and then escape.
The supreme moment had arrived. The fuse had been lighted, and the officers were standing in a group at a safe distance discussing the question whether the work was to be crowned with success.
A member of General Butler's staff galloped up and shouted excitedly: "Has the guard opposite the bulkhead been withdrawn?
Somebody answered, hardly articulately, rather with a sort of gasp: "No!"
There was a score of men in the guard. There were tons of powder beside them. Fire was eating its way up the fuse and might at any second set loose the terrific force of the mine.
The bravery of the officers before whose minds those thoughts flashed could not be doubted — it had been proved too often for that —but to go and warn the squad seemed so utterly beyond reason, so surely a useless throwing away of another life, that they stood there rigid and pale, with one exception - Walter Thorn, first lieutenant of the U. S. Colored Infantry, who hesitated, but only long enough to form a resolve. Then he dashed off in the direction of the bulkhead.
Perceiving his intention, his fellow officers called to him to return — warned him, pleaded with him. Paying no heed, he ran on, reached the bulkhead, climbed to its summit, faced the storm of bullets that the rebels directed at him, and stood there until he had ordered the picket guard to flee to a place of safety.
He leaped from the top of the mine; the explosion took place; the earth was scattered in all directions and a great abyss remained, but the young lieutenant was unharmed.
"It was as deliberate an act of self-sacrifice and valor as was ever performed in our country or any other," said one of his superior officers.
Medal of Honor citation
After the fuze to the mined bulkhead had been lit, this officer, learning that the picket guard had not been withdrawn, mounted the bulkhead and at great personal peril warned the guard of its danger.Name: Thorn, Walter Rank: Second Lieutenant Organization: Company G, 116th U.S. Colored Troops Place: Dutch Gap Canal, Virginia Date: 1 January 1865 Birth: New York, New York Date of Issue: 8 December 1898
Post-Civil War activity
After his military service, Thorn became an attorney in Brooklyn and practiced for more than 30 years. He also held several federal, county and local government posts, including Deputy Sheriff; Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue; Deputy City Auditor; Shore Inspector of the Port of New York; and Warden of the Raymond Street JailRaymond Street Jail
The Raymond Street Jail was a jail in Brooklyn, New York City. With its cornerstone laid in a ceremony on August 27, 1836, Raymond Street Jail was the chief prison for Brooklyn before the latter was incorporated into New York City, and was closed on July 20, 1963...
.
In 1879 Thorn joined the New York National Guard as a Captain, and commanded a company before resigning his commission in 1883.
Thorn remained active in veterans' organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
. In the early 1900s he served as commander of the Medal of Honor Legion
Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Incorporated
The Legion of Valor is a federally chartered corporation created to promote patriotic allegiance to the United States, fidelity to the U.S. Constitution, and popular support for civil liberties and the permanence of free institutions...
. He also served as President of the War Veterans and Sons Association.
Later life and death
In his later years Thorn lived and worked at several soldiers' homes, including one in Bath, New YorkBath (village), New York
Bath is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 5,641 at the 2000 census. Bath is the county seat of Steuben County. The community was named either for the English city or for Lady Bath, daughter of William Pulteney, one of the original landowners.The Village of...
. Near the end of his life he donated many of his medals and other mementos to the American Numismatic Society
American Numismatic Society
The American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:...
.
Thorn was the head librarian at the National Soldiers' Home in Hampton, Virginia, where he died on July 20, 1920. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Section 2 Lot 3689-WH.