b. 30/12/1842 Newfield, New York. d. 30/12/1911 Walter’s Park, Pennsylvania.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 02/07/1863 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Wallace W Johnson MOH
Johnson was born December 30, 1842, in Newfield, New York, and when the American Civil War broke out he enlisted into Company G, 6th Pennsylvania Reserves (also known as the 35th Pennsylvania Infantry) at Waverly, New York.
On the second day of fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg Union forces had been forced to fall back due to the superior numbers of the opposing Confederate force. As more Union troops arrived to fight however the battle started to shift. In an area known as Devil’s Den, Johnson, along with J. Levi Roush, John W. Hart, George Mears, Chester S. Furman and Thaddeus S. Smith volunteered to attack a small log cabin being held by Confederate forces. Although they attempted to approach the cabin by stealth, they were spotted and began taking fire from the enemy force locked inside. Johnson and the other men rushed through the enemy fire and forced their way into the cabin. Before they could start shooting the confederate soldiers surrendered and were taken back to Union lines as prisoners. For their actions during this incident, all six men received the Medal of Honor.
Johnson was mustered out of the military June 11, 1864, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After the war Johnson returned to Pennsylvania and died December 30, 1911, in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
MOH CITATION:
With five other volunteers gallantly charged on a number of the enemy’s sharpshooters concealed in a log house, captured them, and brought them into the Union lines.
BURIAL LOCATION: LAUREL HILL CEMETERY, BALA CYNWYD, PENNSYLVANIA.
LOT 174, EDGEWOOD SECTION, GRAVE 1.
LOCATION OF MEDAL:
GETTYSBURG MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER, NATIONAL CEMETERY (1896 & 1904 DESIGNS), GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.
