Charles Henry Tompkins

Charles Henry Tompkins
Charles Henry Tompkins
Born(1830-09-12)September 12, 1830
Fort Monroe, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJanuary 18, 1915(1915-01-18) (aged 84)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Place of burial
Oak Hill Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
AllegianceUnited States of America
Union
Service/branchUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1856-1861
1861-1894
Rank Colonel
Brevet Brigadier General
Battles/wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

Charles Henry Tompkins (September 12, 1830 – January 18, 1915) was an American officer who served as a Union Army colonel, who received an appointment to the brevet grade of Brigadier General of volunteers during the American Civil War. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on June 1, 1861, in the Battle of Fairfax Court House (June 1861). This was the first action in the Civil War for which a Union Army officer would receive the Medal of Honor, although it was not awarded until 1893.[1][2] He is not to be confused with another Union officer, Brevet Brigadier General Charles H. Tompkins (d. 1895) who commanded the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Charles Henry Tompkins". HomeofHeros.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
  2. ^ "Medal of Honor recipients Civil War (M-Z)". United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
  3. ^ Hunt, Roger D. and Jack R. Brown, Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. ISBN 1-56013-002-4. p. 620.
  4. ^ Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2001), Civil War High Commands, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1