History
Civil War Medal of Honor recipients inducted into Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes
Stars and Stripes
July 4, 2024
Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of U.S. Army Pvt. George D. Wilson, and Gerald Taylor, the great-great-nephew of Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach, unveil the Hall of Heroes plaque during the Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony and Virtual Medal of Honor Wall Museum Unveiling at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 4, 2024. Shadrach and Wilson were awarded for their acts of valor during the April 1862 “Great Locomotive Chase” in the American Civil War. (Daniel Hernandez/U.S. Army)
Pvts. Philip Shadrach and George Wilson, Army soldiers who served during the Civil War, were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted a Hall of Heroes induction ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. The Hall of Heroes is where the names of all service members who have earned the Medal of Honor are enshrined.
“The very first recipients of the Medal of Honor were a small band known as Andrews’ Raiders, named for a spy for the Union Army, James Andrews, who led one of the most daring operations in the entire Civil War,” Biden said. “Two soldiers ... died because of that operation but never received this recognition. Today, we right that wrong. They finally receive the recognition they deserve.”
Austin and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth presented induction plaques to the descendants of the Civil War heroes.
Secretary of the U.S. Army Christine E. Wormuth presents the Medal of Honor plaque to Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of U.S. Army Pvt. George D. Wilson, during the Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony and Virtual Medal of Honor Wall Museum Unveiling at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 4, 2024. (Daniel Hernandez/Department of Defense)
Descendants of U.S. Army Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach pose for a photo prior to the Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 4, 2024. Shadrach and Pvt. George D. Wilson were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024, at the White House for their acts of valor during the April 1862 “Great Locomotive Chase” in the Civil War. (Daniel Hernandez/U.S. Army)
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III gives his remarks during the Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony honoring U.S. Army Pvts. Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 4, 2024. (Bernardo Fuller/U.S. Army)
The plaques honoring Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach and Pvt. George D. Wilson at The Hall of Heroes on Thursday, July 4, 2004, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. The privates were awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for their extraordinary heroism while participating in a covert military operation 200 miles behind Confederate lines on April 12, 1862. (Jackie Sanders/Department of Defense)
In one of the earliest special operations in Army history, Union soldiers dressed as civilians to infiltrate the Confederacy, hijack a train and drive it north for 87 miles, destroying enemy infrastructure along the way. During what became known as the Great Locomotive Chase, six of the Union soldiers became the Army’s first recipients of the newly created Medal of Honor, according to the service.
Nineteen of the 22 Union soldiers received the Medal of Honor. One soldier was offered the medal but declined as he did not fully participate. Wilson and Shadrach became the last members of Andrews’ Raiders to be recognized with the nation’s highest decoration for combat valor.
“The names of Pvt. Philip Shadrach and Pvt. George Wilson will be inscribed forever in the Hall of Heroes alongside their fellow Raiders,” Austin said. “Their medals are new, yet their bravery is eternal. On this Independence Day, their story reminds us of the American patriots who risked everything for our freedom and for our union and for our future of liberty under law. Their story doesn’t just inspire us, it challenges us. So we are not just here to honor their sacrifice, we are here to live up to their example.”