William H. Woodall facts for kids

William H. Woodall was a brave civilian who worked for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award for bravery in the U.S. military. It is very rare for a civilian to get this medal!

Who Was William H. Woodall?

William Woodall was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. He later lived in Winchester, Virginia, when he started working for the U.S. Army. He was the main civilian scout for Major General Philip Sheridan's cavalry.

Woodall rode with a special group called the Jessie Scouts. These scouts were like spies. They would dress in Confederate uniforms to go behind enemy lines. This helped them gather important information.

A Daring Capture

During the Battle of Namozine Church in Virginia, on April 3, 1865, William Woodall and other Jessie Scouts were very busy. They managed to capture a high-ranking officer, Confederate Brigadier General Rufus Barringer.

Woodall himself grabbed the general's special headquarters flag. For this brave action, he was given the Medal of Honor. He received his medal a month later, on May 3, 1865, in Washington, D.C.

His Medal of Honor

The official reason for William Woodall getting the Medal of Honor was: Captured flag of Brigadier General Rufus Barringer's headquarters brigade.

Medal Restored!

In 1916, there was a review of all the Medals of Honor given by the Army. About 900 medals were taken back, including William Woodall's. He and four other civilian scouts had their awards removed because they were not soldiers.

However, in June 1989, the U.S. Army Board of Correction of Records fixed this. They gave the medal back to all five of these men.

The flag that Woodall captured is now kept at the North Carolina Museum of History.