John C. Matthews

Matthews joined as a Private in Company A, 135th Pennsylvania (Nine Month){{sfnp|PA Civil War}} Volunteer Infantry on August 1, 1862, at age sixteen.{{sfnp|Wallace|1897|p=466}} He served on provost duty in Washington DC until February 1863 when the regiment joined the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps, Army of the Potomac at Falmouth, Virginia. Wearing the blue circle of the 3rd Division of Reynold's I Corps, the regiment took part in the Chancellorsville Campaign.{{sfnp|PA Civil War}} On May 24, 1863, the regiment mustered out of Federal service, and Matthews returned home to Westmoreland County as a veteran at seventeen-years-old. After eight months at home, almost six weeks shy of his eighteenth birthday, he reenlisted as a Corporal in Company A, 61st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry for a three-year term on 13 February 1864. Now wearing the white Greek Cross of the 2nd Division of Sedgwick's VI Corps, he served in the 61st until the end of the war when he mustered out as a sergeant on June 28, 1865. He was nineteen-years-old.

His service with the 61st led him to participate in the Overland Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg, Sheridan's Shanandoah Valley Campaign, and the Appommattox Campaign. He was wounded twice. The first was at the Battle of Cedar Creek during Sheridan's Valley Campaign. The second time was at the Breakthrough at Petersburg for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.{{sfnp|Brewer|1911|p=198}} Carrying the state flag in the color guard, he was in the vanguard of the 61st as it led the VI Corps attack on 2 April 1865. At the first volley from the Rebel lines, the regimental Color Sergeant fell wounded. Matthews grabbed the regimental colors and carried both. The defenders' fire stalled the attack, and the regiment fell back behind some breastworks forward of their lines. MAJ Robert L. Orr took the state flag from Matthews and began yelling and wavig to rally the attack. Matthews joined him and the two led the renewed advance into the Confederate positions that they captured. Matthews later wrote that "I had the honor to pick up a flag, carry it off the field, and, a few moments later, to plant it on the enemy's works for which service my colonel promoted me on the field to color-sergeant, and recommended me for a medal."{{sfnmp|Wallace|1897|1p=466|Brewer|1911|2p=156}} He was one of five members of the 61st that earned the medal for their actions that day.{{sfnp|Beyer|Beyer|1905|p=507}}{{sfnp|PA Civil War}} The resultant victory combined with Sheridan's victory at Five Forks and Miles' victory at Sutherland's Station were breakthroughs that forced the evacuation of Petersburg and the Rebel retreat that ended with the surrender at Appomattox Court House.{{sfnp|PA Civil War}}{{sfnp|Brewer|1911|p=205}}

After the war, Matthews returned to Pennsylvania still a teenager. That year, 1865, he married Asenath Work (1846-1942). They had four children, three of whom predeceased him. His Medal was awarded to him on February 13, 1891.{{sfnp|VC-MoH}} He remained married to Asenath until his death in Akron, OH, at age 88 on 1934. He was buried in his family plot with three of his children at Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh.{{sfnp|VC-MoH}}

Matthews' official Medal of Honor citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal John C. Matthews, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 2 April 1865, while serving with Company A, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Petersburg, Virginia. Corporal Matthews voluntarily took the colors, whose bearer had been disabled, and, although himself severely wounded, carried the same until the enemy's works were taken.{{sfnp|CMOHS}}{{sfnp|VC-MoH}}{{sfnp|WOV}}{{sfnp|Subcommittee}}{{sfnp|Wallace|1897|p=466}}

{{Portal|Biography|American Civil War}}

• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients
• 61st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
• Third Battle of Petersburg

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{{refbegin|50em}}

• {{cite book | last1 =Beyer| first1 =Walter F.| last2 =Beyer| first2 =Oscar F.| title =Deeds of valor : How America's Civil War heroes won the Congressional Medal of Honor| publisher =The Perrien-Keydel Company| volume =I| year =1905| location =Detroit, MI| pages =612| language =en| hdl =2027/nyp.33433081908182?urlappend=%3Bseq=48| oclc =1148790472 }}
• {{cite book | last =Brewer | first =Abraham Titus | title =History Sixty-First Regiment Pennsylvania Folunteers, 1861-1865 | publisher =Pittsburgh, Art Engraving & Printing Co. | edition =1st | date =1911 | location =Pittsburgh, PA | pages =134–135, 156, 230 | language =en | url = https://archive.org/details/cu31924095613042/page/n4/mode/2up | format=pdf | oclc =276860166 |access-date = March 13, 2022 }}
• {{cite book | last =Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs| first =United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare| editor =Edward M Kennedy, Chairman| title =Medal of Honor, 1863–1968 : "In the Name of the Congress of the United States"| publisher =U.S. Government Printing Office| series =Committee print (United States. Congress), 90th Congress, 2nd session| year =1968| location =Washington DC| page =160 | url = https://archive.org/details/medalofhonor186300unit/page/160/mode/1up | oclc =1049691780 |access-date = March 13, 2022 |ref={{sfnref|Subcommittee}} }}
• {{cite book | last =Wallace | first =Lew | author-link =Lew Wallace | title =The story of American heroism | publisher =J.W. Jones | edition =1st | date =1897 | location = Springfield, OH | page =466 | language =en | url =https://archive.org/details/storyofamericanh00wall/page/n9/mode/2up | format = PDF | oclc =276860166 |access-date = March 13, 2022 }}
• {{Cite web |title = John Calvin Matthews |work = Congressional Medal of Honor Society |publisher = Congressional Medal of Honor Society |date = February 22, 2022 |url = https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/john-c-matthews |access-date = March 12, 2022 |ref={{sfnref|CMOHS}} }}
• {{Cite web |title = John Calvin Matthews |work = The Wall of Valor Project |publisher = Hall of Valor: The Military Medals Database |date = August 8, 2020 |url = https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/1853 |access-date = May 12, 2010 |ref={{sfnref|WOV}} }}
• {{Cite web |title = John Calvin Matthews |work = Medal of Honor Recipients |publisher = The Comprehensive Guide to the Victoria & George Cross|date = December 15, 2015 |url = http://www.vconline.org.uk/john-c-matthews/4593745479.html |access-date = May 2, 2010 |ref={{sfnref|VC-MoH}} }}
• {{Cite web |title = Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War |publisher = Pennsylvania Civil War Volunteers |date = January 1, 2015 |url = http://www.pacivilwar.com/ |access-date = March 12, 2022 |ref={{sfnref|PA Civil War}} }}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050224182739/http://pacivilwar.com/medalofhonor/westmoreland.html Pennsylvania Volunteers, PA Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients, Westmoreland County]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Sylvester H.}}

Category:1841 births

Category:1927 deaths

Category:Military personnel from Philadelphia

Category:Union army soldiers

Category:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients

Category:People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War

Category:American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor