William J. Archinal

Infobox Military Person
name=William J. Archinal
born= Birth date|1840|6|3
died= Death date and age|1919|5|10|1840|6|3
placeofbirth=Germany
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption= Medal of Honor recipient
nickname=
allegiance=United States of America Union
branch= United States Army Union Army
serviceyears=
rank= Corporal
commands=
unit=Company I, 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
battles=American Civil War *Battle of Vicksburg
awards=Medal of Honor
laterwork=

William J. Archinal (June 3, 1840–May 10, 1919) was an American Civil War Union Army soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Vicksburg.

Biography

Archinal enlisted in the 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, becoming a Corporal in Company I. On May 22, 1863, during the campaign to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi, he participated in an assault on Confederate positions that was considered a "forlorn hope", meaning the soldiers taking part in it would have little chance of surviving. Corporal Archinal was indeed one of a relatively small number of men to escape alive. Fifty-three of the survivors were eventually awarded the Medal of Honor for their participation, including Archinal and eight other members of the 30th Ohio.

Archinal's Medal was issued on July 10, 1894, and the citation is below. William Archinal died at age 78 and was buried in Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey. His grave can be found in section W, Lot 126. In November 2005 a government issue Medal of Honor marker was installed at his gravesite.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 30th Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Vicksburg, Miss., 22 May 1863. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 10 July 1894.

Citation:

:Gallantry in the charge of the "volunteer storming party."

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*

References

*findagrave|19573 Retrieved on 2006-11-28
*cite web
publisher = U.S. Army Center of Military History
title = Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (A-L)
work = Medal of Honor Citations
date = 2005-04-27
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwaral.html
accessdate = 2006-11-28
*cite web
title = William Archinal, Home of Heroes
work =Home of Heroes
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.homeofheros.com/moh/citations_1862_cwa/archinal_william.html

Persondata
NAME= Archinal, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH= June 3, 1840
PLACE OF BIRTH= Germany
DATE OF DEATH= May 10, 1919
PLACE OF DEATH=