Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Medal of Honor Day March 25


Corporal Platt Pearsall, Company C, 30th Ohio Infantry received the Medal of Honor for action as a volunteer in the Forlorn Hope in an attack on fortifications at Vicksburg, MS on 22 May 1863.
Eight members of the Lt. Col. J. Felix St. James Camp # 326 and three members of the Lt. Col. J. Felix St. James Camp Auxillary # 326 attended a ceremony at his grave site on 25 March 2010.
Along with our camp were four members of the General McCormick Camp # 215 and one member of the Louisa Voelker Auxillary # 215 and the Camp Commander of the U.S. Grant Camp # 68.
Also present were nine descendents of Corporal Pearsall.
Brother Bob Hammack gave a presentation on the Forlorn Hope and while telling what they did he had to pause to recompose himself. He had four ancestors that fought at Vicksburg with one of them dying from wounds received the same day.
It was cold and raining but the Pendleton Baptist Church allowed us to hold most of our ceremony inside. We were very grateful for that.