NATHANIEL C. BARKER
Sergeant, Co. E, 11th New Hampshire Infantry
Place/Date of action: Spotsylvania, VA, 12 May 1864
Date of issue: 23 Sept 1897
Citation: Six color bearers of the regiment having been killed*, he voluntarily took both flags of the regiment and carried them through the remainder of the battle.

Nathaniel Churchill Barker, a Piermont, New Hampshire native, left home at age sixteen, moving to Manchester, NH, where he worked at a cotton mill. He enlisted on 21 Aug 1862, and was mustered into Co. E, 11th NH Infantry as a corporal on the 29th. He was promoted to sergeant on 30 Aug '63.

With the 11th NH, Barker participated in numerous engagements, including White Sulphur Springs, Fredericksburg, Siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Miss., Siege of Knoxville, Fort Sanders, and the Wilderness. The Battle of Spotsylvania, on 12 May 1864, fell next in his record of battles. 

The regiment,in the Second Brigade of Gen. Potter's 2nd Division in Burnside's IX Corps, held the Union's left flank when the battle commenced in the early morning of the 12th. His obituary, printed in the Boston Evening Transcript on March 8th, 1904, described the event, in part: "...six color bears were shot down. As the last bearer of the Stars and Stripes staggered from a rifle ball, Sergeant Barker sprang from his cover and seized the falling colors...the State's flag also fell, and this, too, was taken by the brave sergeant, who bore both flags through the remainder of the battle".

The following month, at Cold Harbor, Sgt. Barker was wounded in the hip, and spent the remainder of his service in several hospitals, until being discharged on 25 May 1865.

After the war, Nathaniel took a job at the County Jail in Manchester, and later at the Amoskeag Locomotive Works. In 1870, he removed to Somerville, Mass, where he was employed as a carpenter. He joined Ladder No. 1 of the city's fire department, was soon promoted to foreman, until reaching the assistant chief position in 1877.

Nathaniel Barker died in Somerville, MA on 7 March 1904, aged 67 yrs, from cancer of the liver and kidney. His body was sent to Merrimack, NH, where he was buried on the 11th in Last Rest Cemetery.

Links:
A History of the Eleventh New Hampshire Volunteers: The Color Guard
Boston Evening Transcript, 8 March 1904 (pg 2)
Medal of Honor, 1863 - 1968: pg 25
​Note:
* While the citation claims that six color bearers were killed, only James K. Lane of Co. G was mortally wounded on that day, while the others in the guard fell wounded. A total of 19 men of the 11th NH were killed that day, with over a hundred twenty-five wounded.

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:

JAMES BRADY
Private, Company F, 10th New Hampshire Infantry
Place/date of action: at Chaffin's Farm, Virginia, 29 Sept 1864
Date of issue: 6 April 1865
Citation: Capture of flag

James Brady enlisted in Portsmouth, NH on 11 Aug 1863 as a substitute for Edward S. Sanborn of Kingston, NH, and was mustered in the same day. He was 22 years of age, and had been born in Boston, MA. 

On the "date of action", the 29th of Sept, 1864, the 10th NH were with the XVIII Corps, sent out as skirmishers ahead of the First Division, in the taking of Fort Harrison (while the X Corps were assaulting New Market Heights). The following day, the Confederates made several attempts to retake the fort, without success. The 10th NH Inf. and the 118th New York Infantry formed a skirmish line, and advanced over the field, capturing the rebel wounded and numerous battle flags [Revised Register, pg. 515]. In the report on the soldiers valiant conduct in the field by Asst. Adj.Gen. Smith [US Congr. Series I, Vol XLII, Part III, pg 164] it was recommended that Private Bradbury(sic) receive a medal "for gallantry in capturing a rebel stand of colors".

​On 21 June 1865, the 10th NH was mustered out of service, and any men having not yet completed their terms were transferred to the 2nd NH Infantry. James Brady was listed as "absent, sick" at this time, and didn't join the Second NH in the field.

The whereabouts of Pvt Brady following his Civil War service are not clear. He did not file for a pension, and he was not seen in the 1890 Veterans Schedule. He may be the James Brady, age 39, single, a laborer, in 1880 Boston, MA census with mother Ann, and single brothers William, George, and John (They are also seen in 1870 Boston, and in 1860 Roxbury censuses, and James looks to be a match). 

Beginning in Oct. 1893, James Brady was admitted into the New Hampshire Soldier's Home in Tilton on multiple occasions. He was listed as single, his occupation a laborer, and his disability was rheumatism. His last stay there ended in May 1904, when he left at his own request. That October, he arrived in Raymond, NH, where he died at the home of Mr. Allen on 7 Oct 1904. His obituary, which ran in the Derry News on 14 Oct 1904 (pg 8), is below. The local G.A.R. Post had purchased a veteran's plot in the Pine Grove Cemetery, and escorted his body there following his service.

Links:
Ayling's Revised Register, pg 520
Battle of Chaffin's Farm: [battle map w/ unit locations - LoC site]
Medal of Honor, 1863-1968: pg 38
New Hampshire Soldiers' Home (Tilton, NH): Report for 1904
10th N.H. Infantry: muster roll for  "Substitutes for Drafted Men" ​
10th New Hampshire Infantry: Co. F (transfers to 2nd NH)

​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:

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

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).   

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.

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]

The Civil War Monument in Atkinson, New Hampshire is located at the town common in the center of town, on Rt 121 (Main Street). William Cleaves Todd, a native townsman and former teacher at the Atkinson Academy, gifted the granite memorial to the town in 1890. There used to be small granite pillars with iron railings surrounding it, but those have since been removed, probably when the common was redone (the pillars now mark the outside corners of the property).

On the four sides are inscribed the names of 40 Civil War soldiers who served from this town. With the town record books not having kept an accurate list of those who served, a list of names in the appendix of an 1875 historical speech about the town and Congregational Church (see link below) was used for reference.

Below are the names of the inscribed [additions/corrections in brackets]:

More About (with links):
Morse, Charles Fitch. Historical Discourse: Delivered at Atkinson, N.H., on the Centennial Anniversary of the Congregational Church. Lawrence, MA: Geo. S. Merrill & Crocker, c1875 [Appendix D, pg 36 - google books]
The Derry News, 31 Jan 31 1890 (monument gift, pg 5)
The Derry News, 31 May 1901 (article about monument, pg 2)
"Civil War Soldiers of Atkinson, NH" (Virtual Cemetery on Find a Grave)
Atkinson Cemetery (Flickr photo album w/ Civil War graves)

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 [see tab on left for a full listing]. Here is one story:  

GEORGE PARSONS DOW
​Sergeant, Company C, 7th New Hampshire Infantry.
Place/date of action: Near Richmond, Virginia, October 1864
Date of issue: 10 May 1884
Citation: Gallantry while in command of his company during a reconnaissance toward Richmond. 

George P. Dow of Atkinson, N.H. enlisted as a private on 14 Oct 1861, in neighboring Plaistow, NH. He was mustered in on 6 Nov. in Manchester, and was soon promoted to corporal. On the 18th of July, '62, he was again promoted, to 1st Sergeant. He was mustered out of service on 22 Dec 1864. He had been wounded several times during his three years with the regiment, though not injured bad enough to remove him from active duty.

In October of 1864, while in command of his company, which held the extreme left of the regimental line, the unit became separated from the others while on reconnaissance in the vicinity of Richmond. Upon reaching the enemy breastworks they halted, then realizing the rest of the regiment was not behind them, and called a retreat. Being the first of the Union troops to reach that close to the city, the information gathered was of great importance once they returned to their lines.

George P. Dow, the son of Moses and Sally P (Hanson) Dow, was born in Atkinson, NH on 7 Aug 1840. He was married, on 7 Dec 1865, to Julia A. Carlton [registered in Lawrence, MA vr]. He died on 28 Aug 1910 in Atkinson, aged 70 yrs, and was buried in the town cemetery [NH vr]. They had two children: i. Mary A Dow, b. 21 Sept 1866; marr. William C. Farley ii. ch, b/d 24 May 1880
   
George was a farmer in Atkinson, later becoming the proprietor of a country store in town, and was its postmaster for 26 years. His former homestead still stands, across from the town common named for him.

Links:
Deeds of Valor, pg 436-7
History of the Seventh Regiment: pg 96 (photo), pg 530 (bio)
Muster Out Roll for Company C [family search link]