Years of service 1861 - 1865 Rank Captain | Awards Medal of Honor Name Sylvester Rhodes | |
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Born December 1, 1842
Plains, Pennsylvania ( 1842-12-01 ) Place of burial Hollenback Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Battles/wars American Civil War
• Battle of Fisher's Hill Died August 29, 1904, Pennsylvania, United States Service/branch United States Army, Union Army | ||
Allegiance United States of America | ||
Sylvester D. Rhodes (December 1, 1842 – August 29, 1904) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Fisher's Hill near Strasburg, Virginia fought September 21–22, 1864. The battle was one of the engagements of the Valley Campaigns of 1864.
Rhodes joined the army from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in September 1861. He was commissioned as an officer in December 1864, and was mustered out in June 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 Sergeant Sylvester D. Rhodes, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 22 September 1864, while serving with Company D, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Fisher's Hill, Virginia. Sergeant Rhodes was on the skirmish line which drove the enemy from the first entrenchment and was the first man to enter the breastworks, capturing one of the guns and turning it upon the enemy.”