William John (Medal of Honor)
{{Short description|American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient}}
{{Infobox military person
|name = William F. John
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1844|10|23}}
|death_date = {{Death year and age|1927|1844}}
|image = US-MOH-1862.png
|alt = Civil War era Medal of Honor
|birth_place = Germany
|death_place = Kansas
|placeofburial_label = Place of burial
|placeofburial = Prattsburg Cemetery, Macksville, Kansas
|allegiance = United States
|branch =
{{plainlist|
}}
|rank = Private
|unit = Company E, 37th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
|battles =
{{plainlist|
}}
|awards = Medal of Honor
}}
William F. John (October 23, 1844 – 1927) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.
Union assault
On May 22, 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault on the Confederate heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The plan called for a storming party of volunteers to build a bridge across a moat and plant scaling ladders against the enemy embankment in advance of the main attack.
The volunteers knew the odds were against survival and the mission was called, in nineteenth century vernacular, a "forlorn hope". Only single men were accepted as volunteers and even then, twice as many men as needed came forward and were turned away. The assault began in the early morning following a naval bombardment.
The Union soldiers came under enemy fire immediately and were pinned down in the ditch they were to cross. Despite repeated attacks by the main Union body, the men of the forlorn hope were unable to retreat until nightfall. Of the 150 men in the storming party, nearly half were killed. Seventy-nine of the survivors were awarded the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation
For gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party on 22 May 1863.
See also
{{Portal|Biography|American Civil War}}
References
- {{Hall of Valor|3254|William John|accessdate=October 11, 2010}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|6403764|William John|accessdate=October 11, 2010}}
- [http://oregonmag.com/CivilWarFletcher1108.html A Forlorn Hope]
- [https://www.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/vicksburg-medal-of-honor-recipients.htm Vicksburg Medal of Honor Recipients]
{{DEFAULTSORT:John, William}}
Category:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
Category:People of Ohio in the American Civil War
Category:People of Kansas in the American Civil War
Category:German-born Medal of Honor recipients
Category:Emigrants from the German Confederation to the United States
Category:American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor