John C. Curtis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Calvin Curtis
17 April 1845 – 17 January 1917

Place of birth	Bridgeport, Connecticut
Allegiance	United States Army
Years of service	Enlisted in 1861
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	9th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War * Battle of Baton Rouge (1862)
Awards	Medal of Honor

John Calvin Curtis was a Lieutenant of the Ninth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War, and a Medal of Honor recipient.

Curtis was born on April 17, 1845 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He enlisted in the Ninth Regiment on August 17, 1861. On August 5, 1862, as a Sergeant-Major at age 17, he became instrumental in repulsing a Confederate attack aimed at recapturing Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During heavy firing, he "voluntarily sought the line of battle and alone and unaided captured 2 prisoners, driving them before him to regimental headquarters at the point of the bayonet."^[1] For this act, Curtis was awarded the Medal of Honor on December 16, 1896, the only soldier from the Ninth to be so honored.

Curtis was later promoted to Lieutenant. He died on January 17, 1917.