Walter Thorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Thorn
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| Born | November 18, 1844 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | July 20, 1920 (aged 75) Hampton, Virginia |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army New York National Guard |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 (Army) 1879–1883 (National Guard) |
| Rank |  Major |
| Unit | 116th U.S. Colored Troops |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Walter Thorn (November 18, 1844 – July 20, 1920) was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War. On December 8, 1898, he received the Medal of Honor for his action while serving as a Second Lieutenant in the 116th United States Colored Troops, a unit made up of white officers and African-American soldiers.
Early life
Thorn was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 18, 1844.
Military service
After completing his education, Thorn enlisted for the Civil War and served in the 13th New York Volunteer Infantry and 52nd New York Volunteer Infantry before receiving a commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the 116th Infantry, United States Colored Troops.
Thorn received a medal for hand-to-hand combat in which he captured a Confederate officer, an action that was personally witnessed by General Ulysses S. Grant. He attained the rank of major before his discharge at the end of the war.
Aside from the Medal of Honor awarded to him in 1898 for his deeds at Petersburg, Thorn was awarded the Brooklyn War Fund Committee Medal of Honor in 1872 "for especial acts of bravery at Ferrows Island and Petersburg, Va". He also received the Brooklyn War Service Medal in 1866.
Post-Civil War activity
After his military service, Thorn became an attorney in Brooklyn and practiced for more than 30 years. He held several federal, county and local government posts, including deputy sheriff, deputy collector of internal revenue, deputy city auditor, assistant assessor, shore inspector of the Port of New York and warden of the Raymond Street Jail.
In 1879, Thorn joined the New York National Guard as a captain and commanded a company before resigning his commission in 1883.
Thorn remained active in veterans' organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic. In the early 1900s, he was commander of the Medal of Honor Legion. He was also president of the War Veterans and Sons Association.
Later life and death
In his later years, Thorn lived and worked at several soldiers' homes, including one in Bath, New York. Near the end of his life, he donated many of his medals and other mementos to the American Numismatic Society.
Thorn was the head librarian at the National Soldiers' Home in Hampton, Virginia, where he died on July 20, 1920. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2 Lot 3689-WH.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- * Other white officers in other USCT regiments: Thornton Chase, Edward Winslow Hinks, William Gould (W.G.) Raymond
