Delaware First State Online

Return to the Delaware.gov Portal



Delaware's Recipients of

The Medal of Honor






     There is a "Pyramid of Honors" that can be conferred upon Americans for heroic actions during time of war such as the Silver Star, Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Cross. Atop this "Pyramid of Honors" is the Medal of Honor, the highest award bestowed upon Americans for heroics during combat.

     This "Medal of Honor" was instituted in 1862 during the Civil War. Since that time 3,412 Americans have received this highest honor of their country. Of those, only 14 were awarded to Delawarean’s: nine during the Civil War, one during the Indian Wars out west, one for the insurrection that followed in the Philippines after the war with Spain, and two during World War II.

     This section of Delaware’s World Wide Web (WWW) is dedicated to the memory and the honor of those 14 brave Delaware Soldiers. The information for section was taken from the book "Delaware’s Medal of Honor Recipients" by Roger A. Martin with his permission.



Alexandar Hand - July 9, 1862 - Roanoke River, North Carolina

Charles B. Tanner - September 17, 1862 - Sharpsburg, Maryland

James Parke Postles - July 2, 1863 - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

John B. Maberry - July 3, 1863 - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Bernard McCarren - July 3, 1863 - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

John Shilling - August 21, 1864 - Petersburg, Virginia

Henry A. du Pont - October 19, 1864 - Middletown, Virginia

David Buckingham - February 5, 1865 - Petersburg, Virginia

Samuel Rodmond Smith - February 5, 1865 - Petersburg, Virginia

Griffin Seward - October 20, 1869 - Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory

Leonard Chadwick - May 11, 1898 - Cienfuegos, Cuba

Charles H. Pierce - October 19, hadwick - May 11, 1898 - Cienfuegos, Cuba

Charles H. Pierce - October 19, 1899 - San Isidro, Luzon, Philippine Islands

William Lloyd Nelson - April 24, 1943 - Djebel Dardyss, Tunisia

James P. Connor - August 15, 1944 - Cape Cavalaire, France

Return to Fact's Page