Battle of Appomattox Station

At the Battle of Appomattox Station, four Union soldiers received the Medal of Honor for their actions: 1st Lt. Morton Read of the 8th New York Cavalry, Cpl. Thomas Anderson and Chief Bugler Charles Schorn of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, and Pvt. Bernard Shields of the 2nd West Cavalry. Though they came from different states and held different ranks, each captured a Confederate flag. During the Civil War, a unit's flag was a symbol of pride and a rallying point in battle, and soldiers defended their flags, often at the cost of their own lives. Schorn received his Medal of Honor for capturing the flag of the Sumter Flying Artillery.

Appomattox, Virginia · United States