Abner Peeler Allen

Seven days before the surrender at Appomattox, Corporal Abner Peeler Allen carried the colors into one of the final Union assaults at Petersburg. On 2 April 1865, during the attack on Fort Gregg, his courage as a color bearer brought him the United States' highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Abner Peeler Allen was born on 9 October 1839 in Woodford County, Illinois. His military records identify Bloomington, Illinois, as his residence and place of accreditation. The Illinois State Archives muster roll lists Allen as a veteran and records that he joined at Hilton Head, South Carolina, on 1 January 1864. He was mustered into service there on 25 January and served with Company K of the 39th Illinois Infantry.

By the spring of 1865, Allen held the rank of corporal. On 2 April, Union forces launched their assault on Fort Gregg near Petersburg, Virginia. Allen carried his regiment's colors during the attack, a highly exposed and dangerous responsibility on a Civil War battlefield. Regimental flags served as rallying points for soldiers amid smoke, confusion, and intense fire, placing color bearers in a particularly vulnerable position.

Allen's conduct during the assault was recognized with the Medal of Honor. His official citation is brief, but powerful: **“Gallantry as color bearer in the assault on Fort Gregg.”** The Medal of Honor was presented to him on 12 May 1865, little more than a month after the action for which he was decorated.

Allen remained in military service after the major Confederate surrender at Appomattox. His Illinois muster record shows that he was finally mustered out at Norfolk, Virginia, on 6 December 1865, bringing his Civil War service to an end.

After the war, Allen eventually established a lasting connection with Centerburg, Ohio, where local historical accounts place him by about 1875. He spent the later years of his life there and died on 22 August 1905. He was buried in Centerburg Cemetery, where his grave continues to identify him as a Medal of Honor recipient and a veteran of Company K, 39th Illinois Infantry.

More than 120 years after his death, Centerburg formally renewed that remembrance. On 4 July 2026, village officials, residents, and members of the Centerburg Lions Club dedicated a historical marker honoring Corporal Abner Peeler Allen and his Civil War service. His great-great-grandson, Tom Heston, participated in the ceremony, linking Allen's battlefield legacy directly with the family and community that continue to preserve his memory.

Abner Peeler Allen's Medal of Honor citation contains only a few words, yet they record an extraordinary moment of courage. Carrying the colors forward at Fort Gregg, he became part of the final fighting around Petersburg and secured a permanent place among the Medal of Honor recipients of the American Civil War.