Wednesday, August 22, 2012

He Received The Masonic Sign

A member of the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry, Henry Harrison Bingham received his commission on August 22nd 1862 to First Lieutenant.

Henry Harrison Bingham was born December 4th 1841 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He attended Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and would graduate with a law degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Bingham enlisted in the Union Army, and was commissioned First Lieutenant in the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry August 22nd 1862.  During the Battle of Gettysburg he was part of Union Major General Winfield Scott Hancock’s Second Corps.  He was near the Angle as Pickett’s Charge came to its conclusion.  Bingham would be the man to whom Confederate Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead gave the Masonic sign after being wounded. [Although this story has been discounted recently.] Bingham who was a Captain would come to Armistead’s aid, receive his personal effects and tell Hancock the news of his old friend.  During the Battle of Wilderness Bingham was the aide-de-camp to Union Major General Gouverneur Kemble Warren.  As a Captain in Company G of the 140th Pennsylvania on May 6th 1864 he "rallied and led into action a portion of the troops who had given way under fierce assaults of the enemy."  For this action he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.  Bingham was wounded at the Battle of Spotsylvania and captured at the Battle of Fair Oak.

After the war Bingham was appointed by President Andrew Johnson to Postmaster of Philadelphia, a post he held until December 1872.  He was a delegate at the Republican National Conventions from 1872 through 1900.  He was a Congressman from 1879 until his death, serving as the Chairman of several committees.  Bingham died March 22nd 1912 in Pennsylvania and is buried in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

1 comment:

Richard said...

I'm not sure why the photo attached to this article is of Maj. General George Henry Thomas and NOT of Henry Harrison Bingham.

Images of Bingham can be seen at he following URLs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_to_Friend_Masonic_Memorial

http://civilwartalk.com/attachments/page-1-jpg.13476/