Benjamin Thackrah

Private Benjamin Thackrah volunteered for a small operation near Fort Gates, Florida, that depended on surprise rather than massed battle. The Union party captured an enemy picket, and Thackrah received the Medal of Honor.

Thackrah was born on August 13, 1845, in Scotland. He served in Company H, 115th New York Infantry.

On April 1, 1864, near Fort Gates, Thackrah volunteered for the surprise operation against the Confederate picket. The official citation records his participation in the successful capture.

Medal of Honor Citation

Was a volunteer in the surprise and capture of the enemy's picket.

Thackrah received the Medal of Honor on May 2, 1890. He died on May 20, 1912, at Amsterdam, New York, and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery at Fort Johnson.

His record is best understood through the documented service, action, and award rather than by filling gaps with unsupported detail.