Shadrach & Wilson - The Medal of Honor

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THE Quest for the MEDAL OF HONOR

The Quest for the Medal of Honor was Completed July 3, 2024 - 162 Years Following the Events of the Andrews Raid or Great Locomotive Chase

This website was envisioned to create a repository for documentation submitted to the Department of Defense and the White House requesting that Private Shadrach and Private Wilson be awarded the Medal of Honor for their action during the Civil War.

The Quest for the award to these men was achieved on July 3, 2024, when President Joseph R. Biden in a White House ceremony recognized these men. That ceremony can be viewed at: White House Medal of Honor Ceremony.

Following, on July 4, 2024, these men were inducted into the Pentagon Hall of Heroes. That ceremony can be viewed at: Medal of Honor Hall of Heroes Induction Video. During the Pentagon ceremony their names were virtually unveiled on the U.S. Army Medal of Honor Garden Wall. The following are links to U.S. Army websites honoring Private Shadrach and Private Wilson .

Historic Background

Recent Background

The current day pursuit of the MOH recognition effort proceeded through the military chain of command reaching President George W. Bush’s desk in 2006. However, at that time legislation had not been enacted waving the five-year time limitation to authorize the award. In 2007 Ohio Congressman David Hobson sponsored amended legislation subsequently signed into law by President Bush in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. We then waited patiently to see these men rightfully recognized among their comrades.

In 2012, during the 150th anniversary of events of the Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews Raid, President Obama recognized three others with the Medal of Honor also authorized under the above legislation but failed to recognize Private Shadrach and Private Wilson. With the continued omission of the 2008 Presidentially authorized medals at such a time, a campaign was begun to correct that injustice.

The Website and Acknowledgments

To maintain the historic documents, research effort, and track significant writings and submittals it was determined that a repository was needed so that the public, government, and the military could readily reference the records and status of this Quest. With that task in mind, I contacted Don Krolikowski to set up this website and to help generate and manage large documents, files, data, and other media. Many accolades are due Don.

Twelve years later with editing assistance from Michael Raymondi and research assistance from the historian, Brad Quinlin and preceding efforts by Shadrach and Wilson family members historically, the Quest has been achieved.

Michael Raymondi is to be commended for his contributions and editing assistance with preparation of nearly every document found on the website. Mike suffered a long and disabling illness to which he sadly succumbed September 26, 2024, but not until after seeing his hard work come to fruition. Many thanks are due historian Brad Quinlin for his research, energy, tenacity and unwavering support including enlisting members of the Chattanooga Medal of Honor Heritage Center among many others.

The mission of this website was to also provide an accurate historical account of the Raiders action behind enemy lines, the risks they took and the sacrifice they made in preservation of the Union. An historical account of the Great Locomotive Chase as largely told by the men of the Andrews Raid can be found at:

The Story of Andrews Raid.

Premise on which the MOH Case was Founded

In addition to these men meeting the criteria on which the Medal of Honor has been historically and currently awarded we note the following historical accounts:

  • During the Raiders initial capture and trials in Knoxville, William Pittenger later remarked that in their defense: "We had urged that all should lie tried together, or that the sentence of one should stand for all. There was no reason for giving any preference to one over another.”
  • Following the execution of James Andrews and the seven including Private Shadrach and Private Wilson, the remaining Raiders eventually wrote asking for respite. The letter reached that of Confederate President Jefferson Davis who responded in a note, “Inquire whether there is anything to justify a discrimination between these and the others who were executed for the same offense. J.D.
  • In awarding the first Medals of Honor to the repatriated Raiders Secretary of War Edwin Stanton said : “Congress by a recent law ordered medals to be prepared on this model and your party shall have the first.” In succeeding years, as each member of the party became known, they in turn were placed on the same footing with the Medal of Honor conferred. Perhaps because it was never requested on their behalf, Shadrach and Wilson were overlooked.

Petitioning to Correct the Oversight

To address and correct this oversight a Medal of Honor Recommendation package was compiled, consisting of a compendium of over 300 pages submitted to the U.S. Army and the Pentagon dated 15 February 2016. It was prepared in accordance with DoDM 1348.33-V1 Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: Medal of Honor (MOH) for Preparation of Medal of Honor Recommendations. The submittal was also prepared in accordance with the: Medal of Honor Review and Recommendation Process for Acts of Heroism during the Civil War, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness, dated June 2013.

Medals of Honor Awarded

On July 3 and July 4 respectively, I was humbled to be present, along with my wife and family, as a representative at the White House and Hall of Heroes Ceremonies in the Pentagon for these soldiers on behalf of the great state of Ohio and our nation.

Historical Perspective

To share a few words penned by Ohio’s Governor, Charles Anderson in 1866, on the finding of seven of the Raiders buried in Atlanta where they had been executed nearly four years earlier, he wrote, in part…

“They suffered for all our sakes, defeat, imprisonment, insult, and, in the end, ignominious death. They sleep afar in unhonored graves. But we see now that the end is not yet. The very people, and their children, who have scoffed, reviled, and murdered them, shall learn to love and honor these patriot heroes, who so nobly died for them no less than for us.”

And indeed, today we see that their descendants have erected monuments and museums focused on honoring these very men. Soldiers that covertly invaded Confederate land, were captured, harshly treated, imprisoned nearby and even some of their numbers executed. It is a timely reminder to our current generation to heed the divisions of parochial interests and to collaborate in side-by-side constructive compromise in reaching a consensus that can move us all forward.

We pray that this generation and the next will rededicate itself to the democratic bipartisanship ideals on which this nation was founded.

"At that time, Secretary of War Stanton declared that as they become known, all men of this party shall receive this award."

Quest for Retroactive Civil War Medals of Honor for:

  • Private Philip Gephart Shadrach, Company K, 2nd Ohio Voluntary Infantry Regiment, also known as Charles Perry Shadrach, and
  • Private George Davenport Wilson, Company B, 2nd Ohio Voluntary Infantry Regiment.

Bios:

  • Biography of Pvt. Shadrach
  • Biography of Pvt. Wilson
    • Tall with a spare frame, high cheekbones with overhanging brows, thin brownish hair, long thin wiskers and sharp gray eyes. Journeyman shoemaker.
    • Born in 1830 in Belmont County, Ohio to Elizabeth Clark and George Wilson. Father died April 4, 1861.
    • Married Martha Marple Wilson on Sept. 6, 1849, and divorced Feb. 8, 1861. One son born Nov. 12, 1852, died in railroad wreck in Ohio, August 1888. One daughter died in 1861.
    • Enrolled as Pvt., Co. B, 2d Ohio Inf. Regt., Aug. 31, 1861, Franklin Ohio, for three years’ service.
    • Volunteered for Andrews Raid April 7, 1862.
    • Captured April 12, 1862 while executing the secret service mission to take Chattanooga.
    • Tried and Court-martialed as a Union spy at Knoxville, Tenn., May 31, 1862, General Orders No. 54, HQ. Dept. of East Tenn., CSA.
    • Executed by hanging June 18, 1862 at the corner of Fair Street (now Memorial Drive) and South Park Avenue, Atlanta, Ga.
    • Buried at the site of execution. Remains removed post war to the National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tenn., April 25, 1866. Buried near the Ohio Memorial, Section H, Grave No. 11,178.
    • No Medal of Honor.
"More than twelve years and three administrations have passed and Pvt. Shadrach and Pvt. Wilson remain unrecognized among their comrades with the MOH."

The U.S, Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

In HR 1583 of the 110th Congress under Title V, Subtitle F – Decorations and Awards are sections 564 and 565 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, whereby each states:

This bill was vetoed but resurrected identically (for purposes of this writing) as HR 4986. On January 22, 2008, final Congressional action was taken and the bill sent to the President for authorization. On January 28, 2008 President George W. Bush signed the bill into law.

Under HR 4986, Subtitle F of Title V, entitled Decorations and Awards:
Through this legislation, Congress intended to rectify the historical oversight that deprived these two Union soldiers of their nation's highest honor. The legislation is brief. It does not convey the action behind enemy lines of these two soldiers. Through this website it is hoped that their story can be told, and this historic oversight rectified with these men placed on the same footing in recognition along with their comrades. A day-by-day story account of the Andrews Raid: The Story of Andrews Raid - Great Locomotive Chase.

Department Of Defense And Presidential Letter Submittals

ADDENDUM A - Overview

INFORMATION UPDATE TO THE MOH REQUEST COMPENDIUM

The following is an overview of Addendum A and additional information discovered since the February 15, 2016 MOH Compendium submittal to the DOD.

Per the letter in item 2.i. above from LTC R. Arron Lummer, Chief, Awards and Decorations Branch, this appears to be a highly unusual course of action for a Medal of Honor case. Per LTC Lummer’s letter dated January 4, 2017: "once a decision is rendered, the appropriate involved parties will be notified as expeditiously as possible." If this cannot be resolved, the DoD-IG should be requested to independently investigate the matter and provide an open report of the findings.”

The petitioning parties on behalf of Private Shadrach and Private Wilson have not received notification of a decision in this Medal of Honor case of any kind to date.

CURRENT STATUS OF MEDAL OF HONOR

The Andrews Raid, The First Medal Of Honor, And Observance Of Medal Of Honor Day

Articles by R. Shadrach:

Historic Documents:

The Department of Defense Medal of Honor Process

Contact address to Advocate on behalf of Pvt. Shadrach and Pvt. Wilson

Example letter request

Senior Defense Officials' Mailing Addresses

More Information - Links, Books and places to visit:

A Description of Andrews Raid
The Great Locomotive Chase
Andrew's Raid
Great Locomotive Chase alternate narrative.
The Mysterious Case Of Privates Shadrach & Wilson Josh Roe, NewsChannel 9 & Fox Chattanooga
Podcast: The Mysterious Case Of Privates Shadrach & Wilson

Video: Josh Roe, NewsChannel 9 & Fox Chattanooga

Bonds, Russell S. Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor. Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing, LLC, 2007.

Pittenger, William. Daring and Suffering: A History of the Andrew Railroad Rail. Cumberland Publishing House, 1999.

Rottman, Gordan L. The Great Locomotive Chase: The Andrews' Raid, 1862. New York: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 2009.

The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, GA. Extensive exhibit on the Andrews' Raid, including the restored General.