WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday, more than 160 years after their famed exploits, Civil War veterans Private Philip (Perry) G. Shadrach and Private George D. Wilson were posthumously awarded Medals of Honor for their bravery and dedication to protecting the Union.
Privates Shadrach and Wilson were members of the Andrews’ Raiders – 22 men who were part of the 2nd Ohio Infantry. Andrews’ Raiders were historic martyrs who were caught and executed following their heroism behind Confederate lines, in The Great Locomotive Chase.
U.S. Army Pvts. Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson were recognized as being part of Andrews’ Raiders, who met up in Georgia, hijacked a train and destroyed a vital Confederate railroad line.
Members of the group were captured and executed for their role in the raid. After their deaths, members of the group were awarded the first-ever Medals of Honor.
However, Shadrach and Wilson were the only two Raiders not awarded the Medal of Honor due to a clerical error.
Since 2015 U.S. Sen. Brown (D-Ohio) called on multiple presidents to correct this error and posthumously award Privates Shadrach and Wilson the Medal of Honor.
Wilson was born in 1830 in Belmont County, Ohio and enlisted in a volunteer infantry in 1861. Shadrach was born in Pennsylvania in 1840 and left home in 1861 to enlist in an infantry regiment after the Civil War started.
In October, Brown called on President Joe Biden to take action and previously pushed the Department of Defense and White House to re-examine this historical oversight and award the Medal of Honor to these deserving soldiers.
“Privates Shadrach and Wilson heroically served our nation during the Civil War, making the ultimate sacrifice to protect the Union – but because of a clerical error, they never received the Medal of Honor they each earned,” Brown said.
“It’s why we’ve been calling on the White House since 2015 to posthumously award Privates Shadrach and Wilson Medals of Honor to recognize their bravery, sacrifice, and dedication to our country.”
Brown’s efforts were bipartisan, building on the work of former Congressman Dave Hobson (R-OH) to secure the recognition these brave Civil War veterans earned.
Former Congressman Hobson successfully added an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act granting the authority to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Private Shadrach and Private Wilson.
“I am proud to have played a part in seeing that Pvt. Shadrach and Pvt. Wilson receive the honors they rightly deserve,” said Former Congressman Dave Hobson. “What started as a request from a constituent in Fairfield County led to me sponsoring language in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act waiving the three-year time limit for the soldiers’ Medal of Honor applications so that this historic error could be corrected.
“While it’s disappointing that the Army resisted this for so long, I am glad my initial efforts helped lay a foundation for work by Sen. Brown and others to move the soldiers’ case forward and make this recognition possible.”