b. 24/08/1843 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. d. 08/10/1903 Landsdowne, Pennsylvania.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 02/04/1865 Petersburg, Virginia.
Joseph Fisher MOH
Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He enlisted in the Union Army at the very beginning of the war, being mustered in as a Private in Company G, 23rd Pennsylvania (Three Month) Volunteer Infantry on April 21, 1861. A month after his muster out on July 31, 1861, he re-enlisted for the Union war effort, being mustered in as a Private in Company C, 61st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on September 4, 1861. Promoted to Corporal on January 5, 1865, he was awarded the CMOH for his bravery during the final Union assaults on Petersburg, Virginia on April 2, 1865. His citation reads “Carried the colors 50 yards in advance of his regiment, and after being painfully wounded attempted to crawl into the enemy’s works in an endeavor to plant his flag thereon”. His Medal was awarded to him on January 16, 1894. Honorably mustered out at the end of the war, he would become one of eight 61st Pennsylvania Infantry soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Civil War (the others being 1st Lieutenant Charles H. Clausen, Corporal John C. Matthews, Private Milton Matthews, Captain George W. Mindil, Private Theodore Mitchell, Major Robert L. Orr, and Sergeant Sylvester D. Rhodes).
MOH CITATION:
Carried the colors 50 yards in advance of his regiment, and after being painfully wounded attempted to crawl into the enemy’s works in an endeavor to plant his flag thereon.
BURIAL LOCATION: FERNWOOD CEMETERY, FERNWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.
SECTION 32 LOT 158.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
