Charles McAnally (May 12, 1836 – 1905) was a native of Glenviggan, County Londonderry, Ireland who served with the federal army of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

(also known as the Union Army) during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Severely wounded in action while fighting as a first lieutenant with Company D of the

69th Pennsylvania Infantry The 69th Pennsylvania Infantry (originally raised as the 2nd California) was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. Part of the famed Philadelphia Brigade, this all-volunteer regiment played a key role defending a ...

at Spottsylvania, Virginia, on May 12, 1864, he captured the flag of the enemy during hand-to-hand combat with

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

soldiers, and was subsequently awarded the United States' highest commendation for valor, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

, on October 15, 1872.

Formative years

Born in

Glenviggan, Ballinascreen, County Londonderry Glenviggan is a townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland with a population of 43 people. In 1911, the population was 77. Glenviggan is in the Civil Parish of Ballynascreen, the Barony of Loughinsholin and County of Londonderry. Glenvi ...

, Ireland, Charles McAnally emigrated in 1852.

American Civil War military service

Battle of Spottsylvania by Thure de Thulstrup

Charles McAnally became one of the early responders to the call by United States

President Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederate State ...

for volunteers to help defend

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, following the mid-April 1861 fall of Fort Sumter to troops from the

. After enrolling for military service in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

during the summer of 1861, he then officially mustered in there as a captain with Company D of the

on August 1, 1861."Civil War Veterans' Card File, 1861-1866"
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State Archives, retrieved online January 2010. Encamped near

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg (; ) is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the borough had a population of 7,106 people. Gettysburg was the site of ...

, on July 5, 1863, following the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, he penned a letter to the widow of James Hand, one of his D Company subordinates who had been killed in action:

It is a painfull ictask for me to Communicate the Sad fate of your husband (my own Comrade) he was killed on the 3rd inst he received a ball through the breast & one through the Heart & never Spoke after. I was in command of the Skirmishers about one mile to the front & every inch of the ground was well contested I Reached our Regt the Rebels made the attack in 3 lines of Battle.... I threw off my coat & in 2 minutes we were at it hand to hand they charged on us twice & we repulsed them then they their ictried the Regt on our Right – & drove them which caused us to Swing back our right then we charged them on their left flank & in the charge James fell may the Lord have mercy on his Soul. he never flinched from his post & was loved by all who knew him he is intered icalong Side of Sergt James McCabe Sergt Jeremiah Gallagher of our Co & 5 others of our Co.... we were determed icthat a long as a man lived he would Stand to be killed too rather than have it Said that we left on the battle field in Pennsylvania the Laurels that we So dearly won in Strange States. the loss in the Regt killed wounded & missing was one hundred & fifty eight and our Colnell ic& Lieut Colnell ic& 2 Capts Duffy & Thompson killed & Lieut Kelly & 6 officers wounded. We killed 6 Rebel Generals & nearly all the line officers & killed or captured every man that attacted icus.... Mrs. Hand please excuse this letter as I am confused & I hope you will take your trouble with patience you know that God is mercifull ic& good to his own. No one living this day was more attached than Jas to my Self when I was engaged in front he wanted to get out to my assistance. I lost a loyal comrade in him. No more at present from your Sorrowing friend Chas McAnally
Lieut Co “D” 69th
Regt P.V. P.S. This letter will answer for Sergt McCabe he was shot through the head he died in 2 minutes after. McCabe had 35 cents of money llegible character20 he lent to Lieut Fay of our Co....

In 1864, while fighting as a first lieutenant with the 69th Pennsylvania and other Union Army troops in the

Battle of Spottsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

, he performed the acts of valor which would ultimately result in his being awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor. On May 12, he was " t in head, shot

n the N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

left shoulder; also through right leg, knee and head""1890 Special Census Schedules -- Texas -- Union Veterans in Travis Co." in the ''Austin Genealogical Society Quarterly'', Vol. XVIII, No. 1, March, 1977, p. 11. while capturing the enemy flag from

soldiers during hand-to-hand combat."Charles McAnally", in Admissions Ledgers, U.S. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (Southern Branch, March 5, 1896-March 13, 1905), U.S. National Archives. In late October of that same year, McAnally led members of his regiment and others from the

106th Pennsylvania Infantry The 106th Pennsylvania (originally raised as the 5th California) was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the famous Philadelphia Brigade, which helped defend against Picket ...

in an assault upon Confederate troops in order to silence a CSA artillery battery during the

Battle of Boydton Plank Road The Battle of Boydton Plank Road (also known as Burgess Mill or First Hatcher's Run), fought on October 27–28, 1864, followed the Union Army's successful Battle of Peebles's Farm in the siege of Petersburg during the American Civil Wa ...

. According to a report by 106th Pennsylvania first lieutenant John H. Gallagher to his superiors on October 29:

We left camp in conjunction with the Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers about 2 p.m. October 26, and marched till about dusk; detailed on picket for the night. In the morning followed the division and joined the brigade in time to participate in the charge of Hatcher's Run. After the charge advanced with the brigade along the telegraph road through the woods to the Boydton road. We then formed in line of battle on the left of brigade. We were there ordered by General Smyth to deploy as skirmishers on the right of the Nineteenth Massachusetts Volunteers. While lying waiting for Captain McAnally, commanding the Sixty-ninth and One hundred and sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers, to find the Nineteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, I allagherwas ordered by aide-de-camp from General Egan, commanding division, to cross the Boydton road and advance in line of battle. We advanced then through the woods to the open field, when we were ordered by aide-de-camp from General Egan to deploy as skirmishers and advance parallel with the Boydton road, capturing a battery forge and quartermaster and commissary stores. We then advanced under command of Captain McAnally to within 150 yards of the enemy's battery, and succeeded for a time in silencing their battery. They then advanced their infantry to drive our right, which we repulsed with the loss of 10 men in wounded in missing (7 wounded and 3 missing). We succeeded in holding the ground until ordered to leave, between 1 and 2 a.m., on the morning of the 28th, when we were withdrawn by order of Captain McAnally, Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and marched direct for the sawmill, and at daylight rejoined the brigade and continued in the column to this place [headquarters, 106th Pennsylvania Infantry).

McAnally mustered out with his regiment at Philadelphia on July 1, 1865.

Post-war life

After the war, McAnally married on August 24, 1871, in Burleson County, Texas, to widow Frances 'Fanny' Veach, and purchased farmland in Lee County, Texas. He married a second time on December 18, 1882, in Travis County, Texas, to widow Julia Hofheintz and lived for some time in the city of

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. He had one known child, a daughter, born in February 1880 in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. During the 1890s, McAnally was admitted to the network of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Admitted on March 5, 1896, to the Southern Branch home in

Elizabeth City, Virginia Elizabeth City (or Elizabeth Cittie as it was then called) was one of four incorporations established in the Virginia Colony in 1619 by the proprietor, the Virginia Company of London, acting in accordance with instructions issued by Sir George Year ...

, he was enumerated by a federal census taker in 1900 as a resident of that home who had been confined as an inmate at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...

. Hospital records for this period noted that, on March 13, 1905, he was "Dropped/demanding discharges while under sentence". Those military hospital records also noted that he was a 60-year-old farmer and widower who was 5' 7-1/2" tall with gray hair, blue eyes and a light complexion, and that his residence subject to discharge was Philadelphia, and confirmed that he had sustained a gunshot wound of the left shoulder during the fighting at Spotsylvania in 1864. Hospitalized in late July 1905 due to heart disease, McAnally died in the asylum hospital in Washington, D.C., on August 8, 1905.Captain Charles McAnally Co. D. 69th. Pa. Vols. Congressional Medal of Honour Recipient. M.O.H.
. United Kingdom: The 69th Pa. Volunteer Infantry, retrieved online September 17, 2018.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Company D, 69th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Spotsylvania, Va., 12 May 1864. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: August 2, 1897. Citation:

In a hand-to-hand encounter with the enemy captured a flag, was wounded in the act, but continued on duty until he received a second wound.

References

External links