Thomas A Blasdel

Early life

Thomas A. Blasdel was born on January 2, 1843 in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States of America. His parents were named Ferris Enoch Blasdel and Clarissa Annis Blasdel and they too were both born in America. The Blasdel family was a big one, consisting of 10 children. Thomas was the second oldest of 9 children; 5 girls and 4 boys. His siblings were: Rhoda, Pamelia, Eleanor, George, Enoch, John, Clara, Raymond, and Rachel.

Career

For most of his military career, Thomas Blasdel served as a Private in Company H, 83rd Indiana Infantry. The event that Thomas is most famous for is his actions during the Siege of Vicksburg. This momentous event took place in Mississippi, on May 22, 1863. Thomas Blasdel was 20 years old at the time and still relatively new to his military career. Private Blasdel, along with many other soldiers, volunteered to be a part of the storming party against the Confederates during the Siege of Vicksburg. Thomas and the other did this knowing that the odds of all of them, or even some of them, being alive afterwards were very slim. Some even called the plan a forlorn hope. Even though the men knew how risky it was, double the amount of needed men volunteered and some were even turned away. In the end there were 150 men apart of the storming party. This meant that they had to, before the main attack by the Confederates, build a bridge across a moat and plant ladders all against the Confederate embankment. This entire event started in the morning, not very long after a naval bombardment by the opposing side. Even though there were multiple, powerful attacks by the Confederates, Private Blasdel, along with others, were able to hold off the opposing side. From the morning those 150 men kept away tons of Confederate soldiers. This went on until night, when both sides retreated since it was dark. Out of the 150 who bravely volunteered, around half of them were killed; which in reality could have been worse and was much better than what men predicted. 79 of the survivors (including Thomas A Blasdel) were awarded the Medal of Honor. This event happened just one year after Thomas Blasdel enlisted in the army.

Awards

On August 11, 1894, 31 years after the fact at the age of 51, Blasdel received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg.

Later life

Blasdel served in the army from 1862–1865 and was 22 when he retired from the army. He was given the Medal of Honor quite some time later.

Blasdel married Elizabeth and had a child, Emert. Elizabeth died in 1928 and Thomas on October 12, 1932 in Reno County, Kansas, USA. He is buried in Fairlawn Burial Park, Hutchinson Reno County, Kansas, USA.

Union assault

On May 22, 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault on the Confederate heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The plan called for a storming party of volunteers to build a bridge across a moat and plant scaling ladders against the enemy embankment in advance of the main attack. The volunteers knew the odds were against survival and the mission was called, in nineteenth century vernacular, a "forlorn hope". Only single men were accepted as volunteers and even then, twice as many men as needed came forward and were turned away. The assault began in the early morning following a naval bombardment. The Union soldiers came under enemy fire immediately and were pinned down in the ditch they were to cross. Despite repeated attacks by the main Union body, the men of the forlorn hope were unable to retreat until nightfall. Of the 150 men in the storming party, nearly half were killed. Seventy-nine of the survivors were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor citation

For gallantry in the charge of the volunteer storming party on 22 May 1863.