An Honor To The Uniform

A United States Marine, Henry Wasmuth was killed saving the life of an Ensign on January 21^st 1865 at Fort Fisher.

Henry Wasmuth was born about 1840 in Germany.  He would become a naturalized United State citizen.

Wasmuth enlisted at the beginning of the Civil War in the United States Marine Corps on June 11^th 1861.  He was among the Marines attached to the USS Powhatan, a sidewheeler which took part which took part in the assault on Fort Fisher in North Carolina on January 15^th 1865.

It was during an amphibious assault on Fort Fisher that Ensign Robley D “Fighting Bob” Evans was wounded by a Confederate sharpshooter.  Wasmuth picked up the wounded Evans and carried him to place of safety.  Wasmuth stayed with Evans despite the future United States Admiral’s warning to take cover.  Within a short time the Confederate sharpshooters found Wasmuth, the bullet entering his neck cut his jugular vein.  Wasmuth bleed to death within minutes on January 21^st 1865.

Evans would write of young Private Wasmuth that “he was an honor to his uniform."