The Youngest Medal Of Honor Recipient

William Johnston enlisted in the 3^rd Vermont Infantry December 11^th 1861 at the age of 11 as a drummer boy; he would become the youngest person ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

William Johnston, who was known as Willie, was born July 12^th 1850 in Morristown, St Lawrence, New York, the son of William Johnston.  After the death of his mother, the family moved to Derby, Orleans, Vermont.

When the Civil War started Johnston’s father enlisted to fight for the Union, and Johnston went with his father.  He was enlisted on December 11^th 1861 at St Johnsbury, Vermont.  Johnston was five feet tall and 11 years old.  When the 3rd Vermont infantry was mustered into Union service, Johnston’s father was a private in Company B and Johnston left Vermont as a drummer boy in Company D.  The first time Johnston saw action was at the Battle of Lee’s Mill on April 16^th 1862.

It was during the next campaign, the Seven Days Battles that Johnston would be cited for bravery, and would be subsequently award the Medal of Honor.  During the Union retreat to Harrison’s Landing, when other men threw away their equipment in order to travel faster with less weight, Johnston brought his drum safely back with him to Harrison’s Landing.  It was there that Johnston was asked to drum the division on parade, he being the only drummer boy to bring his instrument off the field.

Johnston was presented with the Medal of Honor on September 16^th 1863 by Union Secretary of War Edwin M Stanton.   Johnston was and is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor.  He would continue to serve throughout the war, mustering out of service on December 30^th 1864.

After the war Johnston attended Norwich University, but did not graduate.  He was living in Chelsea, Massachusetts around 1868.  It was reported that he was working as a mariner.  After this report, there doesn’t seem to any more information about him.

In The Face Of Heavy Fire

Union Army Colonel and Medal of Honor recipient Thomas Orville Seaver was born December 23rd 1833.


Thomas Orville Seaver was born December 23rd 1833 in Cavendish, Vermont. He attended the Green Mountain Academy in Woodstock, Vermont. Seaver was accepted to Tufts University in 1855, but left after a year to attend the Vermont Military Academy at Norwich University. Seaver left Norwich before graduating, completing his education at Union College.

At the start of the Civil War Seaver joined the Union Army as a Captain of Company “F” in the 3rd Vermont Infantry. Seaver would raise in rank to Colonel by January 13th 1863. He received his Medal of Honor for valor during the Battle of Spotsylvania, May 10th 1864, when he led three regiments in the face of a heavy fire attacking and occupying Confederate works.

Following the war Seaver settled in Cavendish, Vermont where he would become a Public Defender, and Probate Court judge. Seaver died from a heart attack July 11th 1912 in Woodstock, Vermont.

Hamper The Enemy

The Battle of Dam No 1 was fought on April 16th 1862 as part of the larger Peninsula Campaign.


A part of Union Major General George B McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign probed the defensive line at Dam No 1 on the Warwick River in Virginia. General Winfield Scot Hancock had reported a potential weak point there on April 6th 1862. The Confederate had been strengthen their position there and McClellan was concerned they would impede his placing siege batteries. McClellan ordered Brigadier General William F “Baldy” Smith to “hamper the enemy” so that they couldn’t complete their defensive works.

At 8am April 16th 1862 there was an artillery bombardment, after which Brigadier General William T H Brooks sent skirmishers from the Vermont Brigade forward to fire on the Confederates. Ordered to cross the river if it appeared the Confederate forces were withdrawing, at 3pm four companies of the 3rd Vermont Infantry went across the dam. Confederate Colonel Thomas Cobb of the Georgia Legion attacked the Vermonters. It was during this action that drummer Julian A Scott would be awarded the Medal of Honor for making several trips across the creek with wounded while under fire. Without any reinforcements the Union troops fell back across the dam. Smith ordered the 6th Vermont at about 5pm to attack downstream from the dam while the 4th Vermont made an action on the dam. This maneuver failed when the Vermonters came under heavy fire from the Confederates. Some of the Vermont wounded fell into the pond behind the dam and were drowned.

The Union lost 35 men dead and 121 wounded at Dam No 1, gaining nothing. The Confederates saw losses of about 70 men in the action.

Another web site about this subject that is worth a look
The Alexander Guards

A Soldier's Artist

Artist and Civil War Medal of Honor winner Julian A Scott was born February 14th 1846.

Julian A Scott was born in Johnson Vermont February 14th 1846 the son of Charles and Lucy [Kellum] Scott. He attended Johnson State College. At the beginning of the Civil War several Scott brothers enlisted, including Julian’s older brother Lucian who was wounded at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, taken prison and almost died in Libby Prison. Julian enlisted at the age of 15 in the 3rd Vermont Infantry, Company “E” as a fifer. He received the Medal of Honor in February 1865 for rescuing wounded at the Battle of Lee’s Mills while under fire.

Following the war Scott graduated from the National Academy of Design in New York City. He then traveled to Europe to continue his education in art. He produced many works of his experiences of the soldiers experience during the Civil War. Scott’s master work of art is the “Battle of Cedar Creek” now located in the Vermont State House in Montpelier. The painting illustrates the Vermonter’s roll in the battle. He would travel west as part of a 1890 census party and there painted Native Americans in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona.

Scott died at 55. He is buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains New Jersey.

Another website to look at about this subject
Julian A Scott, Artist