b. 03/03/1844 Devizes, Wiltshire, England. d. 07/02/1928 Brooklyn, New York.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 30/07/1864 Petersburg, Virginia.
William H Mathews MOH
Matthews was born in Devizes, Wiltshire, England, and emigrated with his family to Baltimore, MD, where he entered the service. Mathews enlisted in 1861 at age 17 in Baltimore, Maryland, under the name Henry Sivel. He served during the Civil War in Company E, 2nd Maryland Volunteer Infantry, rising from private to commander of Company E. He was promoted to sergeant on May 15, 1863, and to first sergeant on June 22, 1863. On January 1, 1864, he reenlisted as a veteran volunteer, retaining his first sergeant rank. He was commissioned as a first lieutenant October 24, 1864, and a captain June 27, 1865. He was wounded twice, and captured once but quickly paroled. He mustered out of service on July 17, 1865.
Matthews received his country’s highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor. Mathews’s medal was won for capturing prisoners at the Battle of the Crater, Virginia. He was honoured with the award on July 10, 1892, under his nom de guerre, Henry Sivel, and the original Medal of Honor was issued under that name. A new medal was issued in 1900 under true name, William H. Mathews
After the war he married Emma Tisdale (1850-1938) with whom he had a daughter Edith Zillah Mathews (1882-1930) and a son William Henry Mathews, Jr. (1885-1885). He remained with Emma to his death at 83 in 1928 in Brooklyn.
MOH CITATION:
Finding himself among a squad of Confederates, he fired into them, killing one, and was himself wounded, but succeeded in bringing in a sergeant and two men of the 17th South Carolina Regiment (C.S.A.) as prisoners.
BURIAL LOCATION: GREEN WOOD CEMETERY, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
SECTION 185, LOT 23377.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: BELIEVED TO BE FAMILY.
