Abiather J. Knowles

Abiather J. Knowles was born on 15 March 1830 in La Grange, Penobscot County, Maine. During the American Civil War he served in Company D of the 2nd Maine Infantry, the unit with which he earned the Medal of Honor.

Knowles was a private at the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia, on 21 July 1861. Under heavy enemy fire, he helped remove dead and wounded men from the battlefield. His official citation states: “Removed the dead and wounded under heavy fire.” His distinction came from recovering casualties during the war's opening campaign.

His military service continued beyond the action for which he is best remembered. The Maine State Archives preserves a Civil War portrait identifying him as Captain Abiather J. Knowles of Company D, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society also records captain as his highest rank, distinguishing his later career from his status as a private at Bull Run.

Knowles received the Medal of Honor on 27 December 1894, more than thirty-three years after the battle. He lived long enough to see his wartime bravery formally recognized. He died at North Bradford, Maine, on 11 February 1905 and was buried in Hill Crest Cemetery in La Grange. The surviving portrait and his medal citation preserve evidence of both his advancement in the Army and the hazardous work of recovering casualties under fire.

Sources: Congressional Medal of Honor Society, https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/abiather-j-knowles ; Maine State Archives, Civil War portrait, https://digitalmaine.com/arc_civilwarportraits/656/ ; Maine Secretary of State, Medal of Honor recipients, https://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/programs/cmoh/recipients.