|
|
Photo Courtesy of HomeOfHeroes.com |
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
On June 1, 1864, following the battles at Spotsylvania, General Grant launched a fierce assault at Cold Harbor, Virginia, against the well entrenched and fortified Confederate forces under General Lee. From June 1 - 3 the Union forces repeatedly assaulted the enemy in an action Grant later admitted was an ill-advised offensive that cost him 13,000 casualties as compared to only 1,700 enemy casualties. On the first day of the battle at Cold Harbor, the men of the 25th Massachusetts Infantry attacked across a withering field of enemy fire. Half-way between the lines Corporal Orlando Boss held a gun pit with Privates Aldrich and Battles when a lieutenant was struck down by rebel gunfire. While rushing to aid the lieutenant, Private Aldrich was wounded. Corporal Boss returned and carried Aldrich off the field before three lines of advancing Confederates, then returned for the officer. Recovering the lieutenant to the gun pit, and with the knowledge that he could not safely carry him over it, Corporal Boss and four comrades then tunneled through the earth works with spoons in order to escape the pit with the wounded officer. He was one of eight men awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism on the first day of battle. |
Medal Of Honor Feature Sites |
||||
History  |
Citations |
Photos |
Living Heroes |
In Memory |
|
If you don't see links to
additional MOH Photos at LEFT, CLICK HERE. |
||||
| Copyright
© 1999-2014 by HomeOfHeroes.com 2115 West 13th Street - Pueblo, CO 81003 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED If you reproduce the above photograph, please credit: HomeOfHeroes.com |
HomeOfHeroes.com now has more than 25,000 pages of US History for you to view.
