William J. Archinal

William J. Archinal (June 3, 1840 – May 10, 1919) was an American Civil War Union Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Vicksburg.

Biography

Archinal enlisted in the 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in August 1861, becoming a Corporal in Company I. On May 22, 1863, during the campaign to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi, he participated in an assault on Confederate positions that was considered a "forlorn hope", meaning the soldiers taking part in it would have little chance of surviving. Corporal Archinal was indeed one of a relatively small number of men to escape alive. Fifty-three of the survivors were eventually awarded the Medal of Honor for their participation, including Archinal and eight other members of the 30th Ohio.

Archinal's Medal was issued on July 10, 1894, and the citation is below. William Archinal died at age 78 and was buried in Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey. His grave can be found in section W, Lot 126. In November 2005 a government issue Medal of Honor marker was installed at his gravesite.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 30th Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Vicksburg, Miss., May 22, 1863. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: July 10, 1894.

Citation:

Gallantry in the charge of the "volunteer storming party."

See also

• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: A–F

References

• "William J. Archinal". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved November 28, 2006. 
• "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (A-L)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. April 27, 2005. Retrieved November 28, 2006. 
• "William Archinal, Home of Heroes". Home of Heroes.