Years of service 1862 - 1865 Awards Medal of Honor | Name Henry Crocker Rank Captain | |
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Place of burial Washington Cemetery, Washington, New Jersey Battles/wars American Civil War
• Battle of Cedar Creek Died 1913, New Jersey, United States Unit 2nd Regiment of Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers Battles and wars American Civil War, Battle of Cedar Creek Service/branch United States Army, Union Army | ||
Allegiance United States of America | ||
Henry H. Crocker (January 20, 1839 – January 1, 1913) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Cedar Creek fought near Middletown, Virginia on October 19, 1864. The battle was the decisive engagement of Major General Philip Sheridan’s Valley Campaigns of 1864 and was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley.
When the war broke out Crocker was living in San Francisco, California. He joined one hundred other pro-Union California men who returned east to fight. The so-called “California Hundred” were organized as a cavalry troop and sent via ship to Camp Meigs in Massachusetts. There they were designated Company A and joined by seven cavalry companies from Massachusetts to form the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry. Crocker eventually became captain of Company F, and mustered out in July 1865.
Medal of Honor citation
“The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain Henry H. Crocker, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 19 October 1864, while serving with Company F, 2d Massachusetts Cavalry, in action at Cedar Creek, Virginia. Captain Crocker voluntarily led a charge, which resulted in the capture of 14 prisoners and in which he himself was wounded.”