James Smith Cunningham (1840-1921) - Find a Grave Memorial

American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He was issued the award on July 30, 1894 for his actions as a private with Company D, 8th Missouri Voluntary Infantry, US Army, on May 22, 1863 during the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi. On that day, Union Genera Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault on the Confederate heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The plan called for a storming party of volunteers to build a bridge across a moat and plant scaling ladders against the enemy embankment in advance of the main attack. The volunteers knew the odds were against survival and the mission was called a hopeless task. Only single men were accepted as volunteers and the assault began in the early morning following a naval bombardment. T he volunteers came under enemy fire immediately and were pinned down in the ditch they were to cross. Despite repeated attacks by the main Union body, the volunteers were unable to retreat until nightfall. Of the 150 men in the storming party, nearly half were killed and 79 of the survivors were awarded the Medal of Honor. His Medal of Honor citation simply reads: "For gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party on 22 May 1863."

Bio by: William Bjornstad