Major Sidney Warren Thaxter (September 8, 1839 – November 10, 1908) was an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

Major and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

recipient.

Personal

Thaxter was born in

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121). Modern Bangor ...

on September 8, 1839. He married Laura May Farnham in 1866. She died in June 1880. He remarried in 1882 to Julia St. Felix Thom. They had three children including Judge Sidney St. Felix Thaxter. Actress

Phyllis Thaxter Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter (November 20, 1919 – August 14, 2012) was an American actress. She is best known for portraying Ellen Lawson in ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) and Martha Kent in '' Superman'' (1978). She also appeared in ''Bewi ...

was his granddaughter. He died from liver cancer in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metro ...

on November 10, 1908, and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Military

During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

, Thaxter was a member of the

1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment The 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment was a volunteer United States cavalry unit from Maine used during the American Civil War. Service history The regiment was organized in Augusta, Maine, on October 31, 1861, and served for three years. The origin ...

, rising to the rank of major. He was awarded the Medal of Honor (MOH) for remaining with his unit beyond the terms of his contract while participating at the

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

in October 1864. (The US government awarded 1,523 MOH during the Civil War, typically for administrative purposes that did not involve gallantry.) After the war, he became a companion of the Maine Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

. Issued on September 10, 1897, his citation read

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * *

External links

* 1839 births 1908 deaths People of Maine in the American Civil War American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from Bangor, Maine Military personnel from Portland, Maine Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Portland, Maine) Deaths from liver cancer in the United States {{US-mil-bio-stub