b. 29/01/1839 Downer’s Grove, Illinois. d. 08/05/1929 St Louis, Missouri.
DATE OF MOH ACTION; 30/09/1862 Newtonia, Missouri.
Wells H Blodgett MOH
Born in Downer’s Grove, Illinois, he read law in the Chicago, Illinois offices of lawyer and Republican Party powerbroker Norman B. Judd in 1859, and met and became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln in 1860 during the time of the Republican convention that nominated Lincoln for President. Admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association in 1861, when the Civil War began he immediately enlisted in a quickly recruited unit of Illinois militia, serving as a Private for three months.
He then enlisted in the National Army, and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in Company D, 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on September 18, 1861. The regiment was assigned to the Army of Southwest Missouri, which was tasked with defeating Confederates in that part of the state and in Arkansas. This operation led to the September 30, 1862 First Battle of Newtonia, Missouri, where Union forces attacked a Confederate garrison with initial success, but were eventually forced back in a rout by superior Confederate numbers. It was during this engagement that Lieutenant Blodgett performed his brave act that would see him awarded the CMOH, with his citation reading simply “With a single orderly, captured an armed picket of 8 men and marched them in prisoners”. He had been sent by his commanding general to bring an order to a Union cavalry regiment to make an attack, and in the process stumbled upon a group of around forty Confederates. Rather than retreat, he and his lone orderly charged into the group, scattering them and capturing eight of them, and act that was specifically praised in after action reports.
He was awarded his Medal of Honor for his bravery on February 15, 1894, nearly thirty-two years later. Promoted to Captain on January 1, 1863, he would serve with the 37th Illinois until March 10,1863, when he was mustered out of the regiment and commissioned Major and Judge Advocate, US Volunteers by President Lincoln. He served as a Judge Advocate in the Union Army until November 22, 1864, when he was commissioned Colonel and assigned to command the 48th Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He then led his men until he was honorably mustered out on June 29, 1865. After the war he continued his law practice, building a successful career in St. Louis, Missouri. He served in the Missouri State Legislature, and was general counsel for the Wabash Railroad Company. He passed away in St. Louis in 1929.
MOH CITATION;
With a single orderly, captured an armed picket of 8 men and marched them in prisoners.
BURIAL LOCATION; BELLEFONTAINE CEMETERY, ST LOUIS, MISSOURI.
BLOCK 67, LOT 2947
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
