b. 16/01/1826 Fayette County, Pennsylvania. d. 21/10/1894 Wright County, Minnesota.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 16/12/1864 Nashville, Tennessee.
William C May MOH
William C May was born on January 16, 1826, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He married Louisa Jane Dodd on July 22, 1852, in Huntington County, Indiana. They had eight children in 22 years. A resident of Franklin County, Iowa and a Mexican War veteran when the Civil War started, he enlisted in the Union Army at age 33, and was mustered in as a Private in Company H, 32nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry on September 13, 1862.
May’s was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery in action on December 16, 1864 during second day of the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee, with his citation reading “Ran ahead of his regiment over the enemy’s works and captured from its bearer the flag of Bonanchad’s Confederate battery (C.S.A.).” The flag he captured was actually from Louisiana’s Pointe Coupee Artillery battery, under command of Captain Joseph Alcide Bouanchaud. Private May was one of the first of his regiment to overrun the battery after attacking through terrible artillery and gunfire over an open field. Both sides had scores killed and eventually the guns of the Louisianans were captured by the Union troops. His regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Gustavus A Eberhart, mentioned his bravery in his official report of the battle. Private May’s Medal for the act was awarded to him February 24, 1865 in Washington, DC, where he had traveled with other soldier’s from Major General George H. Thomas’ Army of the Cumberland that had captured Confederate battle flags to present them to Secretary of War Edwin M Stanton. In addition to their Medals, each man received a one- month furlough. After he returned to his unit he served through the end of the war , and was honorably mustered out at Clinton,
Iowa on August 24, 1865. After the war William C May resided first in Winstead, McLeod County, then in Howard Lake, Wright County, Minnesota before passing away in 1894.
MOH CITATION:
Ran ahead of his regiment over the enemy’s works and captured from its bearer the flag of Bonanchad’s Confederate battery (C.S.A.).
BURIAL LOCATION: WINSTED PUBLIC CEMETERY, WINSTED, MINNESOTA.
BLOCK 4, LOT 3 OR 13.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
