Decatur Dorsey

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Decatur Dorsey
1836- July 11, 1891
Medal of Honor, 1862-1895 Army version
Place of birth	Howard County, Maryland
Allegiance	United States Army
Years of service	1864-1865
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	39th U.S. Colored Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War * Battle of the Crater
Awards	Medal of Honor

Decatur Dorsey (1836 - July 11, 1891) was an African American Medal of Honor recipient — honored for his actions during the American Civil War.

1 Biography
2 Army service during the Civil War
3 Medal of Honor citation
- 3.1 Discharge
4 External link

[edit] Biography

He was born a slave in 1836 in Howard County, Maryland. In March 1864, Decatur Dorsey was released by his owner and enrolled in the 39th United States Colored Infantry (USCT) in Baltimore, Maryland. In May, he was promoted to corporal and then by July, to sergeant.

[edit] Army service during the Civil War

Dorsey served as color bearer for the regiment at the Battle of the Crater, July 30, 1864. During this action he planted the colors upon the Confederate works in advance of his regiment and when they were driven back he carried the colors to the Union works to rally the men. This was what was written upon the citation for the Medal of Honor he was awarded after this battle.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

After weeks of preparation, on July 30, 1864, the Union soldiers exploded a mine in Burnside's IX Corps sector beneath Pegram's Salient, blowing a gap in the Confederate defenses of Petersburg in preparations for the fierce fighting later called the "Battle of the Crater". Unit after unit charged into and around the crater, where soldiers milled in confusion. The rebels quickly recovered and launched several counterattacks. The break was sealed off, and the Union Army repulsed with more than 7,000 men killed, wounded, or missing. Twenty three soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor for their valor in this deadly battle, including Sergeant Decatur Dorsey. A color bearer, Sergeant Dorsey planted his flag on the Confederate works in advance of his regiment, and when the regiment was driven back to the Union works, he carried the colors there and bravely rallied the men. In all, a total of 64 Medals of Honor were earned in action at Petersburg, Virginia, in the period from March 25 to April 3, 1865.

[edit] Discharge

Dorsey was honorably discharged in December 1865 while in Wilmington, North Carolina. He married soon after that and died in 1891, from the effects of typhoid and rheumatism he had contracted in Wilmington, at the approximate age of fifty-one.