b. 1838 Fort Ann, New York. d. 27/10/1864 Fair Oaks, Virginia.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 29/09/1864 Fort Harrison, Virginia.
Lester Archer MOH
At age 23 he enlisted in the Union Army at Fort Edward, New York, and was mustered in as a Corporal in Company E, 96th New York Infantry on December 1, 1861. He would go on to be awarded the CMOH for his bravery in the September 29, 1864 Union assault and capture of Fort Harrison, Virginia, with his citation reading simply “Gallantry in placing the colors of his regiment on the fort.” By the time of the action he had been promoted to Sergeant (June 1, 1864). Less than a month after his participation at Fort Harrison, he was killed in action on October 27, 1864 at Darbytown Road at Fair Oaks, Virginia, as his unit was part of an unsuccessful assault on Confederates at the locale. His remains were never indentified and recovered from the battlefield, and likely was buried in an unknown grave. He was posthumously awarded his Medal on April 6, 1865, one of only a small amount of Civil War posthumous recipients.
MOH CITATION:
Gallantry in placing the colors of his regiment on the fort.
BURIAL LOCATION: KILLED IN ACTION – BODY NEVER IDENTIFIED.
CENOTAPH IN HIS MEMORY AT PINE VIEW CEMETERY, QUEENSBURY, NEW YORK.
AMERICAN LEGION PLOT.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
