Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Private in Company H, 21st Ohio Infantry, Union Army. On April 12, 1862, he was one of the 22 men, which included two civilians, who penetrated nearly 200 miles south into Confederate enemy territory as spies. In Civil War textbooks, the assignment is called the Great Locomotive Chase or “Andrews' Raid”, named for the leader, a civilian scout, James J. Andrews. The group captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Georgia in an attempt to destroy the bridges and track between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Their mission was partially successful as communications were interrupted by cutting telegram wires, thus delaying Confederate advancement. Eighteen miles from Chattanooga, the train was abandoned as there was no more fuel. With in two weeks all were captured by Confederate forces, the two civilians and six soldiers were hung, and the others became Confederate prisoners of war. Later, he was among those who were part of an exchange of prisoners. For bravery in the face of the enemy, he, along with five other men, was awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863 by United States President Abraham Lincoln. He was the third person to receive the Medal of Honor and was promoted to lieutenant for his actions. After the war ended, his mental health declined with alcohol abuse. He was admitted to a state mental hospital for three years and then released. Shortly after the release, he began to drank alcohol again. One evening with his altered state-of-mind, he killed another man who was verbally disgracing the name of Abraham Lincoln. He was arrested, tried and sentence to the State Asylum at Auburn as an insane criminal. While there, he slashed his own throat and died. His heroism was not known to the hospital staff and his body was not claimed, thus he was buried at the State Lot at Fort Hill Cemetery. Later, his remains were moved to an unmarked grave at Soule Cemetery in the prison section. In 1994 the Medal of Honor Society researched his grave location and learned of his post-traumatic stress ordeal after being a POW. At this point, his grave was marked in a military ceremony with his family members in attendance.