Alfred B. Hilton (c. 1842 – October 21, 1864) was an African American Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm.
Biography
Around 1842, Alfred B. Hilton was born near Hopewell Village, Maryland to Harriet and Isaac Hilton.[1]
In 1863, Hilton enlisted with the 4th Regiment United States Colored Infantry.[1] By September 29, 1864, Hilton was serving as a Sergeant in Company H of the regiment. On that day, his unit participated in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm on the outskirts of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. During the battle, Hilton carried the American flag as part of the unit's color guard. As the 4th Regiment charged the enemy fortifications, Hilton grabbed a second flag, the regimental colors, from a wounded soldier. When he was himself seriously wounded by a shot through the leg, he called out "Boys, save the colors!" Two of his fellow soldiers stepped forward; Sergeant Major Christian Fleetwood took the American flag and Private Charles Veale grabbed the blue regimental flag, each before the colors could touch the ground.[2]
Hilton died of his wounds nearly a month later, on October 21.[1] Six months after the battle, on April 6, 1865, he was posthumously issued the Medal of Honor for his actions at Chaffin's Farm. The men who had taken the flags after he was wounded, Fleetwood and Veale, also received the medal.
Hilton is buried in Hampton National Cemetery, Hampton, Virginia.[1]
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company H, 4th U.S. Colored Troops. Place and date. At Chapins Farm, Va., September 29, 1864. Entered service at:------. Birth: Harford County, Md. Date of issue: April 6, 1865.
Citation:
When the regimental color bearer fell, this soldier seized the color and carried it forward, together with the national standard, until disabled at the enemy's inner line.[3][4][5][6]
Legacy
In 2021, a monument to Hilton is planned at the David R. Craig Park in Havre de Grace, Maryland.[1]
See also
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L
- List of African American Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
Notes
- ^ a b c d e Whitlow, James (2021-05-14). "Monument for Sgt. Alfred Hilton, Harford's only Medal of Honor recipient, to be built in Havre de Grace park this year". The Aegis. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
- ^ Beyer, Walter F.; Keydel, Oscar F., eds. (2000). Deeds of valor: How America's Civil War heroes won the Congressional Medal of Honor. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers. p. 434. ISBN 076511769X.
- ^ CMoHS (2020).
- ^ VCOnline (2020).
- ^ Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs (1968), p. 120.
- ^ Beyer & Keydel (1905), p. 435.
References
- "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (A–L)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 6, 2009. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- "MOHs – victoriacross". The Comprehensive Guide to the Victoria & George Cross. VCOnline. 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- "CMOHS.org – Official Website of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. CMOHS. 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- Beyer, Walter F.; Keydel, Oscar F., eds. (1905). Deeds of Valor: How American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor. Detroit, MI: Perrien-Keydel Co. pp. 558. OCLC 1009362198.
- Claxton, Melvin; Puls, Mark (2006). Uncommon valor : A Story of Race, Patriotism, and Glory in the Final Battles of the Civil War. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. p. 231. hdl:2027/uc1.32106018706306. ISBN 978-0471468233. OCLC 845865418.
- Mitchell, Joseph B.; Otis, James (1968). The Badge of Gallantry; Recollections of Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor winners. New York: Macmillan. pp. 194. hdl:2027/mdp.39015005683266. OCLC 560289389.
- Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare (1968). Edward M Kennedy, Chairman (ed.). Medal of Honor, 1863–1968 : "In the Name of the Congress of the United States". Committee print (United States. Congress), 90th Congress, 2nd session. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 1087. OCLC 1049691780.
- The Werner Company (1896). The Story of American Heroism: Thrilling Narratives of Personal Adventures During the Great Civil War as Told by the Medal Winners and Roll of Honor Men. New York: The Werner Company. pp. 798. OCLC 1085307831.
