Medal of Honor Citation

ORION PERSEUS HOWE

Musician

Company C, 55th Illinois Infantry

U.S. Army

May 19, 1863

Vicksburg, Mississippi

A drummer boy, 14 years of age, and severely wounded and exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy, he persistently remained upon the field of battle until he had reported to Gen. W. T. Sherman the necessity of supplying cartridges for the use of troops under command of Colonel Malmborg.

Action

An excerpt of a letter from General William Tecumseh Sherman to Secretary Edwin Stanton (Secretary of War, 1862-1868) printed in the Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania) on July 9, 1888:

When the assault on Vicksburg on the 10th of May was at its height, and I was in front near the road, this lad come up to me wounded and bleeding, with a good, healthy boy’s cry: “Gen. Sherman, send some cartridges to Col. Malmberg; the men are nearly all out.” “What is the matter, my boy?” They shot me in the leg, sir; but I can go to the hospital. Send the cartridges right away." Even where we stood the shots tell thick. I said I would attend to the cartridges; and off he limped. Just before he disappeared he turned and called as loud as he could “Caliber 54!”

What arrested my attention then was, and what renews my memory of the fact now is, that one so young carrying a musket ball wound through his leg should have found his way to me on that fatal spot and delivered his message, not forgetting the very important part even of the caliber of the musket, 54, which you know is an unusual one. I warrant the boy has in him the elements of a man.

Other Information

Orion was appointed in 1863 by President Lincoln and admitted to the Naval Academy on July 28, 1865. He resigned on June 15, 1867. He is the only alumni who was awarded a Medal of Honor prior to attending the Naval Academy.

You can read more about his life on Wikipedia.

Orion is buried at Springfield National Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.

Photographs

From the Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania)] on July 9, 1988.

Medal of Honor Plaque Error

Orion’s middle name, Perseus, is omitted from the Medal of Honor plaque.