MEDAL OF HONOR
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President will award the Medal of Honor to Private George D. Wilson for his heroic acts during the Civil War.
Live Webcast: Hall of Heroes Induction
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The U.S. Army will induct Private George D. Wilson into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. The Pentagon ceremony will add Private George D. Wilson's name to the distinguished roster in the Hall of Heroes, the Defense Department's permanent display of record for all recipients of the Medal of Honor.
Private George D. Wilson
hometown
Belmont County, Ohio
Enlistment date
August 1861
Unit
Company B, 2nd Ohio Infantry Regiment
Deployments
Civil War
Born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1830 to George and Elizabeth Wilson, Pvt. George D. Wilson became a heroic Soldier. After volunteering for the famous Andrews’ Raid, he became a central figure in a high-profile mission of the Civil War known as the Great Locomotive Chase. Though Wilson tragically perished, his story remains inspiring.
Wilson was originally a tradesman who supported his family as a journeyman shoemaker. An incredibly talented craftsman, Wilson loved his work but felt the call to serve his country. He enlisted in the Union Army’s Company B, 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, on Aug. 31, 1861, for three years.
Knowing the risks involved, Wilson volunteered for a mission to destroy a railway that supported Confederate supply chains across the South. Posing as civilians, Wilson and others infiltrated the South in small groups, rendezvousing north of Atlanta at Marietta, Georgia. He and 21 of his fellow Andrews’ Raiders commandeered a locomotive called the General and destroyed railroad tracks and telegraph wires as they made their way back north. However, the General’s conductor and search parties set out in hot pursuit, forcing them to flee and abandon their mission.
After it became clear that the mission had failed, Wilson attempted to escape and evade capture but was eventually caught. On May 31, 1862, he was tried and convicted as a spy. He and six of his fellow Soldiers — who faced their fate with extraordinary courage and bravery — were executed by hanging on June 18, 1862, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Wilson died a hero and left behind an ex-wife, Martha Marple Wilson, and a child (another child died before his death). Initially buried at the site of his execution, Wilson’s remains were moved to the Chattanooga National Cemetery on April 25, 1866, where he was laid to rest at last.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
See the group who volunteered for the dangerous clandestine duty in an attempt to bring the war to a quick end.
The Great Locomotive Chase
April 12, 1862 | Big Shanty, Georgia on route to Ringhold, Georgia, United States
2nd Ohio Infantry Regiment, Union Army
The Ohio state flag, officially adopted in 1902, is based on a typical 34-star (number of states in the United States at the time) Union guidon, carried by many Ohio cavalry units during the Civil War. Read Full Unit History
In one of the earliest special operations in U.S. Army history, Union Soldiers dressed as civilians infiltrated the Confederacy, hijacked a train in Georgia and drove it north for 87 miles, destroying enemy infrastructure along the way. During what later became known as the Great Locomotive Chase, six of the Union participants became the Army's first recipients of the newly created Medal of Honor.
The plan for the Great Locomotive Chase was hatched by James J. Andrews. A Kentucky-born civilian spy and scout, he proposed that a group of volunteers penetrate the Confederacy with the aim of degrading the railway and communication lines that supported the rebel stronghold of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Andrews and 23 other men, who later became known as Andrews' Raiders, infiltrated the South in small groups, rendezvousing north of Atlanta at Marietta, Georgia. On April 12, 1862, 22 of them commandeered a locomotive known as the General and proceeded north, tearing up railroad tracks and cutting telegraph wires as they went.
The General's conductor, William Fuller, led a small party in pursuit — first on foot, then by handcar and three locomotives; the Yonah, the William R. Smith and the Texas. Andrews' Raiders aboard the General were slowed by their sabotage efforts and by the need to permit oncoming trains to pass on the single-track railway, allowing Fuller's party to slowly gain on the Union men.
PHOTO: A depiction of Andrews meeting raid participants in a after reassembling in Marietta, Georgia. Lithograph from page 108 of 'The great locomotive chase; a history of the Andrews railroad raid into Georgia' by Pittenger, William. New York, J.B. Alden, 1889. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Running low on fuel, and with the Texas on their heels, Andrews' Raiders abandoned their effort just 18 miles short of Chattanooga.
Andrews was tried as a spy and saboteur, and was executed on June 7, 1862. Seven others were subsequently hanged on June 18. The remaining Raiders staged a prison escape. Although most succeeded in making it to safety, six of the Union Soldiers were recaptured.
Image above: The General, Western & Atlantic RR Locomotive stolen in the Andrews Raid of 1862. Currently on display at the Southern Museum in Kennesaw, Georgia.
After their release as part of a prisoner exchange in mid-March 1863, all six were awarded the Medal of Honor — the first Soldiers in U.S. Army history to earn the award — and were offered commissions as first lieutenants. Then-Pvt. Jacob Parrott, who had been extensively brutalized by Confederate interrogators, was the first to be decorated with the medal. In the following years, 13 others received it as well.
The award, signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 12, 1862, bestowed an Army Medal of Honor "to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection."
Through their extraordinary heroism exhibited during the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862, these men demonstrated unyielding courage and bravery in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, reflecting great credit upon themselves and the Union.
PHOTO: Railroads were vital to the armies of the American Civil War because they allowed for the quick and efficient transportation of troops, supplies, and wounded soldiers over long distances. Depriving the enemy of this critical infrastructure was part of the Union Army's strategy to bring the war to an end. Image: Photograph of a military railroad bridge circa 1861 - 1865, U.S. Military Railroad at City Point - by Andrew J. Russell and Mathew Benjamin Brady. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art.
"Their heroic deeds went unacknowledged for over a century, but time did not erase their valor."
President Joseph R. Biden
White House Ceremony, July 3, 2024
The Ceremony
RELATED STORIES FROM ARMY.MIL
2nd Ohio Infantry Regiment, Union Army
The Ohio state flag, officially adopted in 1902, is based on a typical 34-star (number of states in the United States at the time) Union guidon, carried by many Ohio cavalry units during the Civil War.
Initially organized April 18, 1861, in the Ohio Militia at Columbus from existing companies as a three-month regiment under Col. Lewis Wilson, the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment served in the defense of Washington and the occupation of Fairfax Courthouse and fought at the Battle of Bull Run. The 2nd then reorganized from July 17 to Sept. 20, 1861, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, as a three-year volunteer regiment under Col. Leonard A. Harris.
After completing initial training, the regiment marched to Kentucky on Sept. 4, 1861, where it fought various actions in the vicinity of Olympia Springs until November, when it was attached to the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Ohio. Later it was attached to the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps, Army of the Ohio, and then to the 1st Division, Center, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland.
The 2nd Ohio fought in the advance to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 10-25, 1862, and in the advance to Murfreesboro, and Huntsville, Alabama, Feb. 4-11, 1862. A detachment participated in the raid on the Georgia State Railroad, also known as the Great Locomotive Chase, April 7-12, 1862. It also fought in various actions in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, including the battles of Perryville, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Kennesaw Mountain and the Siege of Atlanta. The veterans of the 2nd Ohio mustered out Oct. 10, 1864, and its newer recruits transferred to the 18th Regiment Infantry, Ohio Volunteers. The regiment lost 111 killed and 425 wounded.
Official Citation
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has posthumously awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to
Private George D. Wilson
United States Army
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Private George D. Wilson distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving the 2d Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Georgia on 12 April 1862. Private Wilson was one of 22 Andrews' Raiders who by direction of Major General Ormsby M. Mitchell, penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory. Upon capturing a railroad train at Big Shanty in Georgia, the group set out to complete their mission of disrupting enemy supply lines by destroying bridges and tracks between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Private Wilson's gallant actions in close contact with the enemy were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Army of Ohio, and the United States Army.
Participants in the Great Locomotive Chase, or Andrews' Raid, 1862
Volunteer Union Soldiers from the 2nd, 21st and 33rd Ohio Infantry Regiments. Although the operation did not accomplish its objective, this mission led to the first recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor — Pvt. Jacob Parrott.
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James J. Andrews
Civilian leader of the raid. Captured and later executed on June 7, 1862.
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Private William Bensinger
Later promoted to captainCaptured and later freed in prisoner exchange. Awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863.
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Private Wilson W. Brown
Later promoted to second lieutenantEscaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Private Robert Buffum
Later promoted to second lieutenantCaptured and later freed in prisoner exchange. Awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863.
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William H. Campbell
Civilian participant of the raid. Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862.
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Corporal Daniel A. Dorsey
Later promoted to first lieutenantEscaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Corporal Martin J. Hawkins
Later promoted to first lieutenantEscaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Private William J. Knight
Escaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Corporal Samuel Llewellyn
Caught before reaching the rendezvous point in Marietta. Did not participate in the raid and was not awarded the Medal of Honor.
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Sergeant Elihu H. Mason
Later promoted to second lieutenantCaptured and later freed in prisoner exchange. Awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863.
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Private Jacob Parrott
Later promoted to first lieutenantCaptured and later freed in prisoner exchange. Awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863. First U.S. Army Soilder to recieve the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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Corporal William Pittinger
Later promoted to sergeantCaptured and later freed in prisoner exchange. Awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863.
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Private John R. Porter
Later promoted to first lieutenantEscaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Corporal William H. H. Reddick
Later promoted to second lieutenantCaptured and later freed in prisoner exchange. Awarded the Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863.
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Private Samuel Robertson
Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Sergeant Major Marion A. Ross
Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Sergeant John M. Scott
Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Private Philip G. Shadrach
Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024.
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Private Samuel Slavens
Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on July 28, 1883.
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Private Ovid Wellford Smith
Caught before reaching the rendezvous point in Marietta. Did not participate in the raid. Was awarded the Medal of Honor on July 6, 1864.
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Private George D. Wilson
Captured and later executed on June 18, 1862. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024.
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Private John A. Wilson
Later promoted to corporalEscaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
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Private John Wollam
Escaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor July 20, 1864.
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Private Mark Wood
Escaped Confederate captors after raid. Awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 1863.
Image: Monument located at National Cemetery, dedicated to Andrews' Raiders, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Image: Postcard image of surviving Andrews Raiders, 1908 posing in front of Ohio monument erected to the men and their feat. Daniel A. Dorsey, Jacob Parrott, W.J. Knight, Wm. Bensinger, Jno. A. Wilson, W.W. Brown. Photograph taken by L. Engel. Photo courtesy of National Cemetery Administration, from Col. James G. Bogle Collection and Russel S. Bond's Book.
President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor for U.S. Army Pvt. George D. Wilson to Theresa Chandler, Wilson’s great-great-granddaughter, during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 3, 2024. Wilson and U.S. Army Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach were awarded Medals of Honor for their acts of valor during the April 1862 "Great Locomotive Chase" in the Civil War. U.S. Army photo by Henry Villarama.
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy E. Black, greets Theresa Chandler and her guests during a reception in the State Dining Room following a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 3, 2024. Theresa holds the Medal of Honor of her great-great-grandfather, U.S. Army Pvt. George D. Wilson, who was awarded for his acts of valor during the April 1862 "Great Locomotive Chase" in the Civil War. U.S. Army photo by Henry Villarama.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III shakes the hand of Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of Army Pvt. George D. Wilson, after the Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony for Wilson and Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 4, 2024. U.S. Army photo by Bernardo Fuller.
