William J. Babcock

William J. Babcock
Born	(1841-04-08)April 8, 1841 Griswold, Connecticut
Died	October 29, 1897(1897-10-29) (aged 56)
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	2nd Rhode Island Infantry
Battles/wars	Third Battle of Petersburg
Awards	Medal of Honor

William J. Babcock (April 8, 1841 – October 29, 1897) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for valor during the American Civil War.

Biography

Babcock was born in Griswold, Connecticut. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry and was promoted to the rank of Color Sergeant. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Third Battle of Petersburg in an assault on Confederate defenses on April 2, 1865. Babcock was the first to enter the Confederate lines and planted the colors on top of the Confederate works. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on March 2, 1895, almost 30 years after his actions.

After the war, he married Phebe Babcock (1845-1900) by whom he had five sons and two daughters. Sergeant Babcock died in 1897 and is buried with his wife in the Riverside Cemetery in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

Medal of Honor citation

Citation:

Planted the flag upon the parapet while the enemy still occupied the line; was the first of his regiment to enter the works.^[1]

See also

 Biography portal  American Civil War portal

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

References

External links

• William J. Babcock at Find a Grave
• Military Times

This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 08:39