Stephen Potter Corliss (July 26, 1842 – May 9, 1904) was an American soldier who earned a

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 January 17, 1895 for service 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 ...

.U.S. Army Center of Military History
Stephen P. Corliss
Medal of Honor recipients: Civil War

Life and career

Corliss was born in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. He enlisted in the Union Army on August 12, 1862 at

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, as a private into 11th New York Light Artillery Regiment. He was discharged for promotion to 2nd lieutenant on June 26, 1864 and was commissioned into Company F,

4th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment The 4th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment, U.S. Volunteers was a heavy artillery regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment operated as both heavy artillery and infantry beginning in February 1862 while ser ...

. He was listed as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

on August 25, 1864 at the

Second Battle of Ream's Station The Second Battle of Ream's Station (also Reams or Reams's) was fought during the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A Union force under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock began destroy ...

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 ...

. He was returned on December 29, 1864 and promoted the next day to First Lieutenant, Company F, 4th New York Heavy Artillery. On February 5, 1865 he was promoted to Adjutant. His Medal of Honor citation notes that at

South Side Railroad, Virginia The Southside Railroad was formed in Virginia in 1846. Construction was begun in 1849 and completed in 1854. The gauge railroad connected City Point, a port on the James River with the farm country south and west of Petersburg, Virginia, to Lynchb ...

, on April 2, 1865, Corliss "raised the fallen colors and, rushing forward in advance of the troops, placed them on the enemy's works." He was mustered out of service on December 9, 1865. He was later brevetted to the rank of colonel. On April 7, 1880 he was elected as a First Class Companion of the New York 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 military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

- a military society composed of officers who served in the Union armed forces and their descendants. He was assigned insignia number 2039. Corliss died in

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...

and was buried at

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical ...

References

External links

1st Lt. Stephen P. Corliss, Company D 4th Heavy Artillery Civil War
via New York State Military Museum
Image of Corliss
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Corliss, Stephen P. 1842 births 1904 deaths People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union army colonels United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor