Benjamin Ham Child

Wounded and Unconscious, He Returned to His Cannon

Benjamin Ham Child was born on May 8, 1843, in Providence, Rhode Island, to John Griswold Child and Mary Ann Ham Child. He became a distinguished Union Army artilleryman and Medal of Honor recipient whose extraordinary courage during the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, earned him national recognition. Despite suffering a serious battlefield wound and being carried unconscious from the fighting, Child returned to his artillery battery and continued directing his cannon until the battle ended.

Child grew up in Providence and attended local public schools. At the age of fourteen, he began an apprenticeship with Granville Greenleaf, learning the wireworking trade. His early life was shaped by practical education and skilled labor before the outbreak of the American Civil War transformed his future.

On June 6, 1861, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Child enlisted as a private in the Second Rhode Island Battery, later designated Battery A, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery. The unit entered Union service during the opening months of the Civil War and became part of the Army of the Potomac.

Child experienced combat early in his military career. On July 21, 1861, he participated in the First Battle of Bull Run in Virginia, where his battery came under enemy fire. He sustained a slight wound during the engagement but remained in military service.

During the following year, Child continued serving with his artillery unit as Union forces conducted operations in Virginia and Maryland. He advanced through the enlisted ranks and held the rank of corporal when he performed the action for which he would later receive the Medal of Honor.

By September 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had carried the war into Maryland, prompting Union forces under Major General George B. McClellan to confront the Confederate army near Sharpsburg.

On September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam began. The engagement became the bloodiest single day in American military history, with Union and Confederate forces suffering devastating casualties.

Battery A of the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery participated in the fighting as part of the Union artillery force. Its guns supported Federal infantry operations while Confederate troops attempted to hold their positions.

During the battle, Corporal Benjamin Ham Child was wounded by enemy fire. His injury left him unconscious, and he was carried away from the battlefield to the rear.

When he partially regained consciousness, Child insisted on returning to his battery.

Despite his wound, he made his way back to the artillery position and resumed command of his cannon. He remained at his post until the battle ended, continuing to perform his military responsibilities under dangerous combat conditions.

His determination to return to duty after suffering a serious injury became the defining act of his military career.

Child's courage demonstrated exceptional commitment during an engagement in which artillery crews faced considerable danger. Operating a field cannon required coordination among several soldiers, and maintaining the weapon's effectiveness under enemy fire was essential to supporting the infantry.

Rather than remaining in the relative safety of the rear after being wounded, Child chose to resume his responsibilities on the battlefield. His actions were later recognized as extraordinary military gallantry.

Child survived the Battle of Antietam and continued his service with the Union Army.

In July 1863, he participated in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Battery A was engaged in the defense of the Union position. During the fighting associated with Pickett's Charge, Child suffered another severe wound when a bullet struck his left shoulder.

The injury required hospitalization at Satterlee Hospital in West Philadelphia. After receiving treatment, he returned toward Rhode Island to continue his recovery.

His wartime record included three separate wounds sustained during major engagements, demonstrating the considerable dangers he had faced throughout his service.

Child subsequently received a commission as a second lieutenant in the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery. He later served with Battery H, representing the highest military rank recorded during his Army career.

His injuries continued to affect his health and ability to perform military duties. On November 23, 1864, he resigned his commission because of the effects of his wounds, bringing his active military career to an end.

Following his military service, Child returned to Providence and resumed civilian employment. He initially worked in the wireworking trade and later served as a watchman at the Rhode Island State Prison.

On May 1, 1868, Child joined the Providence Police Department as a patrolman, beginning a second career in public service.

He steadily advanced through the department, becoming a doorman in 1874, sergeant in 1877, and police captain in 1879. His experience eventually led to his appointment as Chief of Police on January 5, 1881.

As chief, Child became an influential figure in Providence law enforcement. His responsibilities included overseeing police personnel, maintaining public order, and administering the department during a period of significant urban development.

His public service extended beyond law enforcement. Child remained active in Civil War veterans' organizations, including the Grand Army of the Republic, where he held several leadership positions. He served as Department Commander for Rhode Island and maintained connections with fellow Union veterans.

On November 14, 1872, Child married Ruth Avery. Their family included a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Avery Child.

More than three decades after his extraordinary actions at Antietam, Child's battlefield courage received formal national recognition.

On July 20, 1897, Benjamin Ham Child was awarded the Medal of Honor for his conduct on September 17, 1862.

The decoration recognized his determination to return to his artillery battery after being wounded and carried unconscious from the battlefield. His decision to resume command of his cannon and remain at his position until the engagement ended distinguished him among the Union soldiers who fought at Antietam.

The Medal of Honor was the highest military decoration awarded by the United States for valor. Child received the honor during his lifetime, allowing his wartime courage to be formally acknowledged nearly thirty-five years after the battle.

Child's military achievements and civilian service established a lasting connection between the Civil War and the development of public institutions in Rhode Island. His experience as a wounded veteran did not prevent him from building a substantial career in law enforcement and community leadership.

Benjamin Ham Child died on May 16, 1902, in Providence, Rhode Island, eight days after his fifty-ninth birthday. He was buried at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.

His legacy reflects a life of military courage and continued public service. As a corporal at Antietam, he returned to his cannon despite a serious wound and remained in action until the fighting ended. He later advanced to second lieutenant before dedicating much of his civilian life to the Providence Police Department.

Benjamin Ham Child is remembered as a Medal of Honor recipient whose extraordinary determination on the battlefield and distinguished service to his community secured his place in American military and civic history.