Over forty New Hampshire men, whether a native son, a resident, or a volunteer accredited to the state, earned a Medal of Honor for their actions during the Civil War. Here is one story:
photo taken 11 Oct 2008 - S. Dow
HENRY W. ROWE
Private, Co. I, 11th New Hampshire Infantry
Place/Date of Action: Petersburg, VA, 17 June 1864
Date of Issue: 1 Dec 1864
Citation: With two companions, he rushed and disarmed 27 enemy pickets, capturing a stand of flags
Private, Co. I, 11th New Hampshire Infantry
Place/Date of Action: Petersburg, VA, 17 June 1864
Date of Issue: 1 Dec 1864
Citation: With two companions, he rushed and disarmed 27 enemy pickets, capturing a stand of flags
Henry Walker Rowe enlisted on 14 Aug 1862, and was mustered in on 2 Sept '62 as a private in Company I, 11th New Hampshire Infantry. He was mustered out of service while a patient at the Douglas Hospital, Washington, DC, on 14 June 1865.
On the date of action, the 11th NH Infantry was with General Griffin's Brigade, at the front line near Petersburg. General Potter's Division in the Ninth Corps had the job of running through a ravine and breaking the rebel lines. Dropping their gear to prevent noise, the 11th NH led the 260 men in a 3 A.M. attack, quickly running through the pickets and headed for the breastworks. Private Rowe, with Jeremiah Batchelder, also of Co. I, and Sgt. Solomon Dodge of Co. C, ran around to the rear of a rifle pit, and surprised the men inside. "Surrender, you damned rebels" they yelled, and the 27 soldiers quickly dropped their weapons.The trio led their captives back to their own lines, along with a Confederate flag Pvt. Rowe had snagged [see write-up in "Deeds of Valor" for more on this story].
A month later, the 11th NH was part of the Mine Explosion at Petersburg on July 30th. Henry Rowe was shot in the right shoulder, and spent his remaining term in the hospital (Pvt. Batchelder, mentioned above, was killed in action the same day).
On the date of action, the 11th NH Infantry was with General Griffin's Brigade, at the front line near Petersburg. General Potter's Division in the Ninth Corps had the job of running through a ravine and breaking the rebel lines. Dropping their gear to prevent noise, the 11th NH led the 260 men in a 3 A.M. attack, quickly running through the pickets and headed for the breastworks. Private Rowe, with Jeremiah Batchelder, also of Co. I, and Sgt. Solomon Dodge of Co. C, ran around to the rear of a rifle pit, and surprised the men inside. "Surrender, you damned rebels" they yelled, and the 27 soldiers quickly dropped their weapons.The trio led their captives back to their own lines, along with a Confederate flag Pvt. Rowe had snagged [see write-up in "Deeds of Valor" for more on this story].
A month later, the 11th NH was part of the Mine Explosion at Petersburg on July 30th. Henry Rowe was shot in the right shoulder, and spent his remaining term in the hospital (Pvt. Batchelder, mentioned above, was killed in action the same day).
Rowe stone - Hill Cemetery, Candia, NH (2008)
After the war, Henry moved to Manchester, NH, where worked as a job printer. After a short stay in Dayton, Ohio (seen in the Soldiers Home there in 1879 books), he took his business to Boston, MA, where he remained until his death in 1913.
HENRY W. ROWE was born in Candia, NH on 1 Apr 1840, the son of John and Lydia Rowe. He died on 9 Oct 1913 in Roxbury, MA, from hypostatic pneumonia. He was first married to SOPHRONIA J. WALLACE in 1861, and second to LAVINIA T. ROWE in 1866. By his second wife, he had a son, HARRY SHERMAN ROWE, born 1874 in Boston, MA.
Derry News - 17 Oct 1913, pg 8
Links:
A History of the Eleventh New Hampshire Regiment, pg 518
Deeds of Valor: pg 366
11th NH Civil War records: [Enlist. page, Muster-Out roll, Must-out roll (2)]
Medal of Honor, 1863 - 1968 [pg 212]
A History of the Eleventh New Hampshire Regiment, pg 518
Deeds of Valor: pg 366
11th NH Civil War records: [Enlist. page, Muster-Out roll, Must-out roll (2)]
Medal of Honor, 1863 - 1968 [pg 212]
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