John H. Moffitt

John Henry Moffitt (January 8, 1843–August 14, 1926) was a United States Representative from New York and the recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Civil War.

Biography

John Henry Moffitt was born near Chazy, Clinton County, New York and attended the district school and Plattsburgh Academy. During the American Civil War enlisted as a private in Company C, Sixteenth Regiment, New York Volunteers, April 27, 1861 but mustered out of the service with his regiment on May 18, 1863.

After the war he attended the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute and graduated in 1864.

In 1866 he worked as the deputy collector of customs at Rouses Point, New York until 1872. After that he engaged in the manufacture of charcoal bloom iron at Moffitsville, Clinton County, and at Belmont, Franklin (now Allegany) County, from 1872–1891;

In 1877 he was elected supervisor of Saranac, Clinton County.

John Moffitt was elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses (March 4, 1887 - March 3, 1891) but he was not a candidate for renomination in 1890.

After leaving congress he was a manager of the Syracuse Street Railway Company from 1891–1899 and superintendent of the city water department from 1900 - 1902 when he worked as a cashier of the Plattsburgh National Bank until 1904. Then from 1904 until his death he was president of the Plattsburg National Bank & Trust Co. and served as chairman of the Republican committee of Clinton County and a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912.

John Moffitt died in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York, and is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

Corporal, Company C, 16th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Gaines Mill, Va., June 27, 1862. Entered service at: Plattsburg, N.Y. Born. January 8, 1843, Chazy, Clinton County, N.Y. Date of issue: March 3, 1891.

Citation:

Voluntarily took up the regimental colors after several color bearers had been shot down and carried them until himself wounded.^[1][2]

See also

• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: M–P

Notes

References

• John H. Moffitt at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on January 7, 2009
• "John H. Moffitt". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved November 8, 2007. 
• "John H. Moffitt, Medal of Honor recipient". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2007.