Edward B. Spalding

Edward Burson Spalding
Born February 2, 1840
Byron, Illinois
Died March 4, 1920 (aged 80)
Place of burial Floyd Cemetery, Sioux City, Iowa
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1861 - 1864
Rank First Lieutenant
Unit 52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars American Civil War
  Battle of Shiloh
Awards Medal of Honor

Edward Burson Spalding (February 2, 1840 – March 4, 1920) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Shiloh.

Biography

Born on February 2, 1840, in Byron, Illinois, Spalding joined the 52nd Illinois Infantry from Rockford in October 1861,[1] and was mustered out December 1864.[2] By April 6, 1862, he was serving as a sergeant in Company E of the 52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. On that day, at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, during the Battle of Shiloh, he was severely wounded but continued to fight for the remainder of the battle. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor several decades later, on January 15, 1894.[3][4]

Spalding's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Although twice wounded, and thereby crippled for life, he remained fighting in open ground to the close of the battle.[4]

Spalding died on March 4, 1920, at age 80 and was buried at Floyd Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa.[3][5]

See also

References

  1. Illinois Service Record, Part 1
  2. Illinois Service Record, Part 2
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Edward B. Spalding". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (M–Z)". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. December 3, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  5. Zerschling, Lynn (May 30, 2011). "Veterans urge Siouxlanders to remember those who served". Sioux City Journal (Sioux City, Iowa). Archived from the original on May 30, 2011.

External links