b. 24/03/1843 Chichester, New Hampshire. d. 09/09/1912 New Hampshire.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 15/06/1864 Petersburg, Virginia.
William was born on the 24th of March, 1843, in Chichester, New Hampshire, where his father was a wheelwright. He enlisted in the Union Army in May 1861 at the age of 19 and was assigned to Company I of the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry. He fought at First Manassas, the Peninsula Campaign, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg before joining a newly formed unit, the 4th US Colored Infantry.
In the Second Battle of Petersburg on June 15, 1864, Appleton was able to lead the charge and was unscathed at the end. One other officer was killed, along with five others wounded in the same battle. He was promoted to captain and moved to command Company E, where they would go on to fight at and capture Fort Fisher in January 1865. Appleton and the 4th US Colored Infantry were mustered out of service in May 1866 and little else is known about his post service life is known. He was brevet promoted to Major before his end of service and he received his Medal of Honor on the 18th of February, 1891. Appleton died on the 9th of September, 1912, at the age of 69 years old and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Pembroke, New Hampshire.
MOH CITATION:
The first man of the Eighteenth Corps to enter the enemy’s works at Petersburg, Va., 15 June 1864. Valiant service in a desperate assault at New Market Heights, Va., inspiring the Union troops by his example of steady courage.
BURIAL LOCATION: EVERGREEN CEMETERY, PEMBROKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: BELIEVED TO BE FAMILY.
