b. 26/08/1844 Cabell County, West Virginia. d. 12/03/1922 Barboursville, West Virginia.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 12/11/1864 Ninaveh, Virginia.
Adams was born in Cabell County, West Virginia. He served during the Civil War as a Private in Company D, 1st West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry, enlisting at age 17 on September 12, 1861. He was awarded the CMOH for capturing the State flag of the 14th Virginia (CSA) Cavalry at Nineveh, Virginia, on November 12 1864. He himself was captured during the war, and spent some time as a prisoner of the Confederates. His Medal was awarded to him on November 26, 1864, and he was honorably mustered out of service on July 25, 1865. Private Adams has the distinction of being the first alphabetically in the official list of Civil War Medal of Honor recipients. He was one of fourteen 1st West Virginia Cavalry soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Civil War (the others being Corporal Thomas Anderson, Lieutenant Wilmon W. Blackmar, Captain Hugh P. Boon, Sergeant Richard Boury, Major Charles E. Capehart, Colonel Henry Capehart, 1st Sergeant Francis M. Cunningham, Commissary Sergeant William Houlton, Private Archibald Rowand, Chief Bugler Charles Schorn, Corporal Emisire Shahan, Sergeant Levi Shoemaker, and Private Daniel A. Woods). He died in Barboursville, West Virginia on 12th March 1922 aged 77.
MOH CITATION:
Capture of State flag of 14th Virginia Cavalry.
BURIAL LOCATION: OAKLAWN MEMORIAL PARK, BARBOURSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA.
LOT 160.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: BELIEVED TO BE FAMILY.
