Harrison Jeffords facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harrison Jeffords
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| Born | August 21, 1834 Monroe County, New York |
| Died | July 3, 1863 (aged 28) Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
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| Service/ |
 Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit |  4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment |
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Harrison H. Jeffords (born August 21, 1834 – died July 3, 1863) was a brave soldier during the American Civil War. He was a colonel in the Union Army, leading the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Colonel Jeffords is remembered for his amazing courage at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. He died while trying to protect the United States flag.
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Early Life and Joining the Army
Harrison Jeffords was born in New York State. His family later moved to Michigan. There, Harrison studied law and became a lawyer in a town called Dexter.
When the Civil War began, Harrison felt it was his duty to help his country. He joined the army as a Lieutenant in the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He quickly showed he was a good leader. By May 1862, he became a captain. Later, in November 1862, he was promoted to colonel and took command of his entire regiment.
Colonel Jeffords and his regiment fought in many important battles. They were part of the Army of the Potomac, a major Union Army group.
A Promise to Protect the Flag
Once, while Colonel Jeffords was back in Michigan, some women from Monroe, Michigan, gave his regiment a new national flag. Their old flag had been badly damaged in earlier fights. Colonel Jeffords made a special promise: he said he would defend this new flag with his life.
Heroism at Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important battles of the Civil War. On the second day of the battle, July 2, 1863, something terrible happened. The soldier carrying the regiment's flag dropped it.
Colonel Jeffords rushed forward to pick up the flag. A Confederate soldier also grabbed it, and they fought over the banner. During this struggle, Colonel Jeffords was shot in the leg. Then, a Confederate soldier attacked him with a bayonet, a knife attached to a rifle. The bayonet hit him in his stomach.
This was a very serious wound for the 28-year-old officer. He died early the next morning, on July 3, 1863. His last words were said to be "Mother, mother, mother." Colonel Jeffords was the highest-ranking officer in the Civil War to die from a bayonet wound.
After the battle, his body was sent home to Dexter, Michigan. About 2,000 people attended his funeral to honor their hero. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Dexter.
Remembering Colonel Jeffords
After the Civil War ended, Jeffords' regiment put up a monument on the Gettysburg battlefield. It stands near the spot where the colonel fell. The monument shows a soldier holding a flag. Even though many people think this soldier is Colonel Jeffords, it's actually not. The soldier on the monument doesn't have Jeffords' famous goatee beard, and his uniform is different.
However, there is a special message carved on the monument. It's a verse dedicated to Colonel Harrison Jeffords, the brave leader of the Fourth Michigan.
