Daniel G. Caldwell

A Daring Cavalry Charge That Earned the Medal of Honor

Daniel G. Caldwell (June 1, 1842 – April 15, 1917) was an American Civil War soldier and recipient of the United States Army Medal of Honor. Serving as a Sergeant in Company H of the 13th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, also designated the 117th Pennsylvania Volunteers, he distinguished himself during the Battle of Hatcher's Run, Virginia, on February 6, 1865. In a daring mounted charge against Confederate forces, he penetrated the enemy's line and captured a Confederate battle flag identified in his official Medal of Honor citation as belonging to the 33rd North Carolina Infantry. His courage earned him the Medal of Honor on February 25, 1865.

Caldwell was born on June 1, 1842, in Marble Hill, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He grew up during a period of increasing political and sectional tensions that eventually led to the outbreak of the American Civil War in April 1861. The conflict placed enormous demands on Pennsylvania, which contributed substantial numbers of soldiers, military supplies, and industrial resources to the Union war effort.

In August 1862, Caldwell enlisted in the Union Army at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He joined Company H of the 13th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, a regiment organized primarily in Philadelphia and Harrisburg. The unit was also known as the 117th Pennsylvania Volunteers and included soldiers associated with the Irish Dragoons.

The 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry initially performed military duties in Maryland and along the Potomac River. Its assignments included scouting, reconnaissance, outpost security, and patrol operations intended to protect Union positions and monitor Confederate movements.

During the winter of 1862–1863, the regiment operated in northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Cavalry service required endurance, horsemanship, and the ability to respond quickly to changing battlefield conditions. Soldiers frequently traveled long distances, crossed difficult terrain, and faced the possibility of sudden attacks while operating beyond the protection of larger infantry formations.

The regiment subsequently participated in the fighting around Winchester, Virginia, during the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863. Its service formed part of the wider Union effort to resist Confederate advances and maintain control of important transportation routes and strategic positions.

As the war progressed, the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry became closely associated with the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The regiment participated in numerous operations in Virginia during 1864, including campaigns associated with the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and the prolonged struggle around Petersburg.

Its cavalry operations included reconnaissance missions, raids, escort duties, and engagements with Confederate mounted and infantry forces. The regiment served in the demanding campaigns that accompanied Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's effort to defeat General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

The fighting around Petersburg became particularly important during the closing months of the war. Union commanders sought to extend their positions westward, threaten Confederate supply lines, and force Confederate troops to defend an increasingly extensive network of fortifications.

Hatcher's Run, southwest of Petersburg, became the scene of several engagements as Union forces attempted to disrupt Confederate communications and transportation routes. The surrounding countryside contained wooded areas, streams, difficult roads, and defensive positions that complicated cavalry and infantry movements.

On February 6, 1865, during the Battle of Hatcher's Run, Caldwell performed the act of gallantry for which he received the Medal of Honor.

Serving as a Sergeant with Company H, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, he participated in a mounted attack against Confederate troops. During the charge, Caldwell rode into the center of the opposing line and captured an enemy regimental flag.

His official Medal of Honor citation identifies the captured colors as those of the 33rd North Carolina Infantry. Later historical research has raised questions about the precise identification of the Confederate regiment, but the official citation preserves the action for which Caldwell received national recognition.

Capturing enemy colors was a significant battlefield achievement during the Civil War. Regimental flags served as rallying points, helped commanders identify troop positions, and represented the identity and honor of military units. Their loss could disrupt battlefield organization and carried considerable symbolic importance.

Caldwell's action required him to advance directly toward armed Confederate soldiers during a mounted charge. By penetrating the enemy's position and taking possession of the colors, he demonstrated the personal courage recognized by the United States government.

Unlike many Civil War soldiers whose Medal of Honor awards were issued decades after their actions, Caldwell received his decoration while the conflict was still underway. His Medal of Honor was issued on February 25, 1865, only nineteen days after the engagement at Hatcher's Run.

The award recognized his exceptional gallantry as a Sergeant in the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. His distinction became part of the regiment's military history during the final months of the war.

Following the Hatcher's Run operations, the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry was transferred to North Carolina. The regiment moved to Wilmington and subsequently participated in the advance toward Goldsboro, where Union forces operating under Major General William T. Sherman were completing their campaign through the Carolinas.

During March 1865, the regiment assisted operations intended to establish contact between Union forces advancing through North Carolina. Its movements formed part of the wider campaign that placed increasing pressure on Confederate armies throughout the eastern theater.

As Union forces advanced toward Raleigh in April 1865, the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry participated in the closing operations of the war. A historical account of Philadelphia's Civil War regiments specifically credits Caldwell with raising the flag of the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry over the dome of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh.

The episode represented another notable moment in Caldwell's military service, occurring as Confederate resistance in North Carolina approached its conclusion.

Following the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's forces in April 1865, the regiment remained on duty in North Carolina, where Union troops assisted in maintaining order during the transition from wartime operations to military occupation.

Caldwell's later military record includes his advancement from the enlisted ranks. Accounts of his service identify a subsequent appointment as Second Lieutenant, while the Congressional Medal of Honor Society records Captain as his highest rank. His rank at the time of the Medal of Honor action, however, is firmly established as Sergeant.

The 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry was mustered out of federal service in July 1865 and returned to Philadelphia, where its remaining soldiers were discharged. Caldwell's wartime service had taken him through several major Union campaigns and ended with the collapse of the Confederacy.

After the Civil War, Caldwell lived through the Reconstruction era and the decades of rapid industrial and social transformation that followed. His name remained associated with the wartime service of the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry and the Medal of Honor recipients who had distinguished themselves during the final campaigns in Virginia.

Daniel G. Caldwell died on April 15, 1917, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of seventy-four. He was buried in Mount Peace Cemetery in Philadelphia, in Section H, Lot 105, Grave 3.

Caldwell's military legacy rests primarily upon his courage during the Battle of Hatcher's Run on February 6, 1865. His mounted advance into Confederate lines and capture of enemy colors represented an extraordinary personal achievement during one of the final campaigns of the American Civil War.

His service with the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, participation in the closing operations in North Carolina, and recognition through the Medal of Honor secured his place among the decorated Union soldiers of the conflict. His story remains an example of the risks undertaken by cavalry soldiers and the importance of individual initiative and bravery on the Civil War battlefield.