RETAINED COMMAND IN SPITE OF SEVERE WOUNDS1
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CHARLES H. SMITH,
Colonel, 1st Maine Cavalry.
Highest rank attained: Bvt. Maj-Gen., U. S. A.
Born at Hollis, Me., Nov. 1, 1827.
The battle around Saint Mary’s Church, Va., June 24, 1864, brought the Second Brigade of the Second Division of Sheridan’s Cavalry into a sharp and deadly struggle with superior numbers of Wade Hampton’s Confederate Cavalry.
About three o’clock in the afternoon, after irregular skirmishing all morning, the enemy made an attack in great force on the Second Brigade, to which Colonel Charles H. Smith’s First Maine Cavalry was attached, and from that time until dark the fight was carried on by the brigade with undaunted vigor. The enemy, over-confident because of their overwhelming numbers, charged time and again, only to be met and held in check by the gallant brigade. There were no disengaged men in the Union lines ; all worked with a fury, the cavalry charging, while two batteries in the rear poured load after load of canister into the staggering lines of the enemy. Colonel Smith, at the head of his regiment, was wounded in the thigh, but, keeping his seat, led his brave men into the thickest of the fight, where his horse was shot from under him. Mounting another, he again was in the lead. Again his horse was shot from under him, throwing him heavily to the ground. A third horse was secured, and in the retreat, after two hours of the fiercest cavalry fighting, the colonel, although again wounded, remained with his men, fighting the pursuing rebels until darkness put an end to this unequal contest.
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The object of the Trevelian [sic, Trevilian] Raid, Va., June 7-24, 1864, was to go to Lynchburg and open communication with General Hunter. That object was not accomplished and the cavalry returned via the White House Landing, where a large train of wagons was packed awaiting escort to the James River. The cavalry supplied the escort and crossed the Chickahominy at Jones’ Bridge. On the morning of the 24th, Gregg’s Division was sent to Saint Mary’s Church as a flank guard, and, thus became separated from the main cavalry corps. Hampton discovered this fact, and, as he despaired of capturing the train, concentrated all his cavalry to capture or destroy Gregg’s Division.
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Read about even more Medal of Honor winners at the Siege of Petersburg:
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Introduction
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: At the “Breakthrough”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Ride to Almost Certain Death
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Under Special Protection of Providence
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Three Examples of Soldierly Devotion
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Recaptured Colors and Took Two Prisoners
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: 3 Men Capture 27 “Johnnies”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Captured, But Their Colors Were Saved
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: He Paused at the Side of His Dead Captain
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Hero of Fort Haskell
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Gallant Colonel and His Brave Adjutant
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Bayonet Charge Put the Rebels to Flight
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Too Young for Enlistment, But Served
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “Well Done, Taylor”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Equal to the Emergency
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: An Improvised Bodyguard
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Fall of Fort Harrison
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Message Delivered Under Difficulty
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Thought Only of Saving the Flag
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Story of a Youthful Hero
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Sergeant Who Wisely Disbelieved
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Rounded Up Forty Rebels
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Scenes from Hatcher’s Run
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Rebel Charge That Failed
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “I Was Mad as a Hornet”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Risked Being Blown to Atoms at Dutch Gap Canal
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Swam the River Under Difficulties
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Valorous Deeds at Hatcher’s Run
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “Lieutenant, What Say You?”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Heroism In the Hour of Reverse
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Duty and Death Rather Than Dishonor
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Thrilling Episodes Around Petersburg
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Attracted General Custer’s Attention
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Engineer, Surgeon and Hero
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “They Can’t Drive You Out of Here”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Hero from the South
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Made Good Use of the Enemy’s Weapons
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: In Full View of the Enemy
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Rewarded Twice
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Gallant Vermonters
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Profitable Reconnoissance
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Language More Forceful Than Elegant
- Between 1898 and 1905: James M. Pipes to to the Compilers of the Volume Deeds of Valor
- Newspaper Article: Powhatan Beaty, 5th USCT, Co G
- NP: October 3, 1864 Philadelphia Inquirer: AP Reports, September 29-30
- NP: January 12, 1888 Wheeling (WV) Intelligencer: Flagstaff of the 12th WV
- OR XL P1 #292: Medals of Honor, June 15-July 30, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #350: Medals of Honor, August 1-December 31, 1864
- OR XLVI P1 #178: Medals of Honor, Feb 5-7 and Mar 25, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #266: Medals of Honor, Mar 31-Apr 9, 1865
- “Paddy the Horse” Ginley Wins a Medal of Honor at Reams Station
Source:
- Beyer, Walter F. and Keydel, Oscar F. Deeds of Valor: How America’s Heroes Won the Medal of Honor…, Volume 1 (The Perrien – Keydel Company: 1901), p. 369 ↩