Denis Buckley

Capturing Enemy Colors at the Cost of His Life

Denis Buckley (c. 1844 – July 20, 1864) was a Canadian-born Union Army soldier and posthumous recipient of the United States Medal of Honor. Serving as a Private in Company G of the 136th New York Volunteer Infantry, he distinguished himself during the Battle of Peachtree Creek, Georgia, on July 20, 1864, by capturing the regimental colors of the 31st Mississippi Infantry. He was killed during the engagement, and his extraordinary bravery was recognized with the Medal of Honor on April 7, 1865.

Buckley was born around 1844 in Canada, then part of British North America. Some historical accounts identify Lindsay, in present-day Ontario, as his birthplace. Although details of his childhood and family background remain limited, his Canadian origins are confirmed by official United States Army Medal of Honor records.

By 1862, Buckley was living in the United States. On August 12, 1862, he enlisted at Avon, Livingston County, New York, to serve in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was formally mustered into Company G of the 136th New York Volunteer Infantry as a Private on September 25, 1862.

The 136th New York Infantry was organized at Portage, New York, under Colonel James Wood Jr. The regiment recruited primarily from Allegany, Livingston, and Wyoming counties and became part of the Union Army's expanding military forces.

Following its organization, the regiment departed New York for Virginia in October 1862. It was assigned to the XI Corps of the Army of the Potomac and participated in military operations during the eastern campaigns of the Civil War.

Buckley's early military service included a period of captivity. Regimental roster accounts record that he was captured by Confederate forces at Banks Ford, Virginia, on January 11, 1863, and paroled at City Point, Virginia, on January 23, 1863.

During 1863, the 136th New York Infantry served in the Gettysburg Campaign. The regiment defended positions near Cemetery Hill during the Battle of Gettysburg, suffering significant casualties from Confederate artillery and sharpshooter fire.

Later that year, the regiment was transferred westward to Tennessee as Union commanders reinforced their forces around Chattanooga. It participated in operations associated with the Battle of Wauhatchie and the Chattanooga Campaign.

In the spring of 1864, the regiment became part of the newly organized XX Corps and joined Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. The Union army advanced through northern Georgia, seeking to defeat Confederate forces and capture Atlanta, an important transportation and industrial center.

The 136th New York participated in the Battle of Resaca on May 15, 1864, and continued operating through the difficult Georgia countryside. The regiment experienced repeated skirmishes and engagements as Confederate forces attempted to delay the Union advance.

By July 1864, the Union forces had approached Atlanta. Confederate General John Bell Hood launched an offensive against portions of Sherman's army, hoping to disrupt the Union advance and inflict a decisive defeat.

On July 20, 1864, Confederate troops attacked Union positions near Peachtree Creek, north of Atlanta. The battle developed into a fierce engagement as Confederate infantry assaulted the advancing and defending Federal formations.

Private Denis Buckley was serving with Company G of the 136th New York Infantry when the regiment became involved in the fighting. During the engagement, Buckley encountered soldiers of the Confederate 31st Mississippi Infantry.

According to the regiment's historical account, Buckley attacked the Confederate color bearer, struck him with the butt of his musket, and seized the regiment's battle flag.

Capturing enemy colors was a significant achievement during the Civil War. Regimental flags represented a unit's identity and served as important rallying points for soldiers during battle. Their capture demonstrated exceptional battlefield initiative and carried considerable symbolic importance.

After obtaining the Confederate colors, Buckley raised the captured flag in view of the opposing soldiers. At that moment, according to the regimental history, a Confederate bullet struck the flagstaff, glanced away, and hit him in the forehead.

Buckley was killed instantly, bringing his military service to an end at approximately twenty years of age. His death occurred during the same action in which he captured the enemy flag.

The Battle of Peachtree Creek ended with Confederate forces failing to break the Union line. Although Buckley did not survive to witness the conclusion of the Atlanta Campaign, his courageous action became part of the distinguished history of the 136th New York Infantry.

His bravery received formal national recognition on April 7, 1865, when the United States awarded him the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The official citation recognized his capture of the flag of the 31st Mississippi Infantry during the engagement at Peachtree Creek on July 20, 1864. The award acknowledged his exceptional courage and sacrifice during the Civil War.

Historical regimental accounts also describe arrangements for his Medal of Honor to be delivered to his mother after his death.

Buckley was buried in Marietta National Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. His grave is located in Section G, Site 6686. Historical records sometimes identify him as Dennis Buckley, while the Congressional Medal of Honor Society lists his name as Denis Buckley.

Denis Buckley's life was tragically brief, but his military service left a lasting historical legacy. A Canadian-born young man who volunteered for the Union cause, he demonstrated extraordinary courage in one of the major battles of the Atlanta Campaign.

His capture of the Confederate 31st Mississippi Infantry's colors, followed immediately by his death under enemy fire, remains the defining act of bravery for which he received the Medal of Honor.

His sacrifice is remembered as an example of the courage displayed by foreign-born soldiers who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.