Miles James was an
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
Union Army soldier 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 ...
and a recipient of 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 ...
for his actions at the
Battle of Chaffin's Farm
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
.
Biography
James joined the Army in
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
, and by September 30, 1864, he was serving as a
corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
in Company B of the
36th United States Colored Troops. On that day, his unit participated in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, where he was seriously wounded, resulting in the amputation of his left arm. Six months after the battle, on April 6, 1865, James was issued the Medal of Honor for his actions at Chaffin's Farm. He was discharged for disability the following October.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company B, 36th U.S. Colored Troops. Place and date: At Chapins Farm, Va., September 30, 1864. Entered service at: Norfolk, Va. Birth: Princess Anne County, Va. Date of issue: April 6, 1865.
Citation:
Having had his arm mutilated, making immediate amputation necessary, he loaded and discharged his piece with one hand and urged his men forward; this within of the enemy's works.
See also
*
List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L
*
List of African American Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. Recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own l ...
*Melvin Claxton and Mark Puls, ''Uncommon valor : a story of race, patriotism, and glory in the final battles of the Civil War'', (Wiley, 2006) ()
Notes
References
*
1820s births
1871 deaths
African Americans in the American Civil War
American amputees
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
Union army soldiers
People from Virginia Beach, Virginia
American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor
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