Charles Maynard Holton

He Dismounted Under Fire to Capture an Enemy Flag

Charles Maynard Holton was an American Union Army cavalryman who received the United States Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery during the American Civil War. Serving as a first sergeant in Company A of the 7th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry, Holton distinguished himself at the Battle of Falling Waters on July 14, 1863. During an engagement with Confederate infantry, he dismounted from his horse and captured the battle flag of the 55th Virginia Infantry. His courageous action earned him the nation's highest military decoration more than twenty-five years after the battle.

Born on May 25, 1838, in Potter, Yates County, New York, Holton spent his early years in the northeastern United States. Details of his childhood and family circumstances remain limited in surviving biographical accounts. His later life became closely associated with Michigan, where he pursued a civilian career before entering military service.

Around 1860, Holton moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, where his brother Samuel had previously established a medical practice. Holton studied law and began practicing in Battle Creek before the outbreak of the American Civil War.

When the conflict began in April 1861, Holton was among the men who entered Union military service. He joined Company A of the 7th Michigan Cavalry, a mounted regiment that became part of the Union Army's cavalry forces operating in the eastern theater.

The 7th Michigan Cavalry served in the Army of the Potomac's cavalry operations and became associated with the Michigan Cavalry Brigade. The regiment participated in the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, during which Union and Confederate mounted forces conducted reconnaissance, pursued opposing troops, and engaged in combat across Maryland and Pennsylvania.

By July 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was retreating after its defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. Confederate troops moved westward toward the Potomac River, seeking to cross back into Virginia while Union forces pursued them.

The Confederate retreat was complicated by swollen rivers, damaged crossings, and the need to move large numbers of soldiers, wagons, and supplies. Cavalry forces played an important role in the pursuit, attempting to disrupt Confederate movements and engage units protecting the retreating army.

On July 14, 1863, Union cavalry encountered Confederate forces near Falling Waters, close to the Potomac River. Confederate infantry formations were protecting the army's withdrawal as troops attempted to complete their crossing.

The engagement brought Union mounted troops into direct contact with Confederate soldiers defending the retreat. Holton was serving as a first sergeant in Company A of the 7th Michigan Cavalry during the fighting.

It was during this battle that Holton performed the action for which he would eventually receive the Medal of Honor.

According to his official citation, Holton encountered Confederate infantry carrying the colors of the 55th Virginia Infantry. Rather than remaining mounted, he dismounted in the midst of the engagement and seized the enemy regiment's flag.

The capture of an opposing regiment's colors was a significant achievement during the Civil War. Regimental flags represented military identity and served as important visual markers around which soldiers maintained their organization during combat.

Because of their importance, flags were frequently carried into dangerous positions, and the soldiers responsible for protecting them could become exposed to concentrated enemy fire. Capturing an enemy flag therefore required courage and often involved direct contact with opposing troops.

Holton's decision to dismount while engaged with Confederate infantry distinguished his conduct. By leaving his horse and moving to capture the flag, he undertook a direct personal action that became the defining achievement of his military record.

The official Medal of Honor citation identifies his accomplishment as the capture of the 55th Virginia Infantry's flag after dismounting during the battle with enemy foot soldiers.

Although the citation does not describe every movement involved in the capture, it establishes Holton's individual achievement and the Confederate regiment from which the flag was taken.

The fighting at Falling Waters occurred during the final phase of Lee's withdrawal from Pennsylvania. Union cavalry attacked Confederate rear-guard forces, capturing prisoners and disrupting parts of the retreating column.

Despite these attacks, most of Lee's army successfully crossed the Potomac River into Virginia. Holton's bravery was recognized as an individual achievement during this broader military operation, rather than as the decisive cause of its outcome.

Following the engagement, Holton continued his military association with the 7th Michigan Cavalry. His highest documented military rank was Second Lieutenant, an advancement beyond the First Sergeant rank he held during his Medal of Honor action.

On March 21, 1889, Charles Maynard Holton received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Falling Waters on July 14, 1863. The presentation came more than twenty-five years after the battle and formally recognized his courage in capturing the Confederate regimental flag.

Holton's military recognition preserved the account of a Union cavalryman who chose to dismount during active fighting to seize an enemy symbol of military identity.

Following the Civil War, Holton returned to civilian life. His connection to Battle Creek, Michigan, continued after his wartime service. In 1864, he married Mary Thisler of Constantine, Michigan.

Holton eventually settled in Yakima, Washington, where he spent the later part of his life. His civilian activities are less extensively documented than his military service, although accounts of his death preserve his association with the community.

Charles Maynard Holton died in August 1899 in Yakima, Washington, at the age of 61. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan, where his grave commemorates his service and Medal of Honor recognition.

His military legacy remains connected to the 7th Michigan Cavalry and the Union pursuit of Confederate forces following Gettysburg. At Falling Waters, Holton distinguished himself through a direct act of personal courage when he dismounted during combat and captured the colors of the 55th Virginia Infantry.

His Medal of Honor, presented in 1889, preserves the historical recognition of that achievement. Charles Maynard Holton remains remembered as a Union cavalryman whose bravery during the closing stages of the Gettysburg Campaign earned him a lasting place among America's Medal of Honor recipients.