Henry V. Boynton

Infobox Military Person
name= Henry Van Ness Boynton
born= Birth date|1835|6|22
died= death date and age|1905|6|3|1835|6|22
placeofbirth= West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
placeofdeath= Atlantic City, New Jersey
placeofburial= Arlington National Cemetery


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America Union United States of America
branch= United States Army Union Army United States Army
serviceyears= 1861-75, 1898
rank= Brigadier General
commands=
unit=
battles= American Civil War *Battle of Chickamauga *Battle of Missionary Ridge
awards= Medal of Honor
laterwork=

Henry Van Ness Boynton (June 22, 1835 – June 3, 1905) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at Missionary Ridge. Returning to duty in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, Boynton was promoted to brigadier general.

Early life

Boynton was born in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts but was raised in Ohio where he graduated in 1854 from Woodward College, in Cincinnati, and subsequently from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1859. While there, he joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Civil War

From the onset of the Civil War to its conclusion, Boynton served as a commissioned officer in the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was elected as the regiment's first major, but quickly rose up the ranks to become the commanding officer of the regiment and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He led the 35th in the Battle of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, where he earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on November 25, 1863.

After the war

After the war he resumed civilian life. He married Helen Augusta Mason in 1871 and became a newspaper correspondent in Washington, D.C. Boynton also became the chairman of the committee that oversaw the development of the Chattanooga National Military Park. In 1898, he returned to active military service as a brigadier general during the Spanish-American War.

Boynton died in 1905 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. cite web
publisher = nytimes.com
title = "Boynton prepared to die"
date = 1905-06-05
url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C06E3DB173DE733A25755C0A9609C946497D6CF
accessdate = 2007-11-29] His funeral service on June 3, was attended by President Theodore Roosevelt and a delegation representing his old comrades in the Army of the Cumberland.cite web
publisher = nytimes.com
title = "Will honor Gen. Boynton, President promises to attend the funeral"
date = 1905-06-06
url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=940CE0DE103AE733A25754C0A9609C946497D6CF
accessdate = 2007-11-29] He was buried on June 7, 1905, at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia Plot: Section 2, Lot 1096. [findagrave|12852 Retrieved on 2007-11-29]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization::Lieutenant Colonel, 35th Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Missionary Ridge, Tenn., November 25, 1863. Entered service at: Ohio. Born: July 22, 1835, West Stockbridge, Mass. Date of issue: November 15, 1893.

Citation::Led his regiment in the face of a severe fire of the enemy; was severely wounded.cite web
publisher = AmericanCivilWar.com
title = "Civil War Medal of Honor Citations" (A-B): Boynton, Henry V.
date =
url = http://americancivilwar.com/medal_of_honor1.html
accessdate = 2007-11-29] cite web
publisher = army.mil
title = "Medal of Honor website” (A-L): Boynton, Henry V.
date =
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwaral.html
accessdate = 2007-11-29]

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*

References

Persondata
NAME= Boynton, Henry V.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=