Erastus W. Jewett

Erastus W. Jewett was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War whose courage and determination during the defense of Newport Barracks, North Carolina, earned him the Medal of Honor. He served with Company A of the 9th Vermont Infantry and held the rank of First Lieutenant at the time of the action for which he was later recognized. After the war, he continued his military involvement and eventually attained the rank of Colonel in the Vermont Militia.

Jewett’s defining act of heroism took place on February 2, 1864, at Newport Barracks, North Carolina. At the time, Union forces in the area were threatened by a much larger Confederate force. The situation was extremely dangerous because the Union garrison faced the possibility of being overwhelmed if it remained in position too long.

As a First Lieutenant, Jewett was responsible for helping maintain order and directing soldiers during the withdrawal. His actions became especially important as Confederate forces pressed the Union position.

Rather than simply retreating immediately, Jewett helped resist the superior enemy force long enough to allow the Union troops to withdraw in a more organized manner.

He also took part in the destruction of bridges during the retreat.

Burning those bridges was tactically important because it slowed Confederate pursuit and helped prevent enemy troops from quickly following the retreating Union force.

This required Jewett and the men with him to remain in a dangerous position while the rest of the force moved away.

His willingness to stay behind and help delay the enemy placed him at considerable personal risk.

The Confederate force greatly outnumbered the Union defenders.

Jewett’s conduct therefore reflected both courage and sound battlefield judgment.

He understood that a controlled retreat could save lives, but only if someone remained behind long enough to slow the enemy advance.

For this conduct at Newport Barracks, Erastus W. Jewett was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The correct historical version associated with his service is the Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army.

The Army Medal of Honor had been established during the Civil War to recognize extraordinary gallantry and distinguished conduct.

The early Army version featured the distinctive five-pointed star design associated with the original generation of recipients.

Because Jewett’s heroic action occurred in 1864 while he was serving in the United States Army, the Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army is the correct version for his profile.

No verified device or clasp is associated with his Medal of Honor.

Jewett did not receive the decoration immediately after the war.

His Medal of Honor was formally presented on September 8, 1891.

Like many Civil War recipients, he was recognized decades after the action itself.

The passage of time between the battle and the award does not reduce the importance of his conduct.

Instead, it reflects the fact that many Civil War acts of gallantry were reviewed and formally recognized later.

Jewett’s Medal of Honor action rank was First Lieutenant.

This is the rank that should be used when describing the action at Newport Barracks.

His wartime role as a junior commissioned officer meant that he had responsibility for both leadership and battlefield decision-making.

A First Lieutenant could be required to command troops directly, assist a company commander, or assume greater authority during emergencies.

Jewett’s conduct at Newport Barracks demonstrated exactly this kind of leadership.

He remained effective during a retreat, helped protect the withdrawing force, and participated in measures designed to slow the enemy.

After the Civil War, Jewett remained connected to military service.

He later became a Colonel in the Vermont Militia.

This later rank represented a significant advancement from his Civil War rank of First Lieutenant.

A Colonel was a senior officer with broad leadership and administrative responsibilities.

For a complete military-career profile, Colonel can therefore be regarded as his highest rank.

However, when describing the Medal of Honor action itself, First Lieutenant remains the correct rank.

Jewett’s combat specialization was Infantry.

The 9th Vermont Infantry was an infantry regiment, and his Medal of Honor action took place during direct ground combat while defending and withdrawing from a threatened position.

For the database, the correct classification is Army and Ground combat (Army focus), with Infantry as the appropriate Combat Achievement Modifier.

The action at Newport Barracks also highlights an important aspect of military courage.

Heroism does not always involve attacking an enemy position.

Sometimes it involves holding ground long enough for others to escape.

Sometimes it involves accepting the risk of being left behind so that the main force can withdraw safely.

Jewett’s Medal of Honor action belongs to this category.

His bravery was closely tied to leadership, discipline, and responsibility.

He was not simply trying to survive the engagement.

He was helping ensure that other Union soldiers could escape from a more powerful enemy force.

This kind of rear-guard action is one of the most dangerous tasks in warfare.

The soldiers involved must remain near the enemy while their comrades move away.

If the delay lasts too long, the rear guard can be surrounded or cut off.

If it ends too quickly, the retreating force can be caught.

Jewett’s conduct showed that he understood this balance and was willing to accept the danger.

His role in destroying bridges further increased the tactical value of his actions.

A bridge can determine how quickly pursuing forces can move.

By destroying crossings, defenders can gain precious time.

In Jewett’s case, those actions helped protect the withdrawal from Newport Barracks.

His Medal of Honor therefore recognized both personal bravery and effective military service under pressure.

Jewett’s medal history is straightforward under the client’s current database rules.

His confirmed decoration is the Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army.

The Civil War Campaign Medal 1861–1865 Army should not be added.

Jewett died on February 20, 1906, before the Army Civil War Campaign Medal was established.

Under the current workflow, his Civil War service alone is not sufficient reason to include that later medal.

His final confirmed medal count therefore remains one.

That single decoration, however, represents a significant act of courage.

The Medal of Honor is the highest military award in the United States, and Jewett earned it for remaining effective under pressure during a difficult retreat against superior enemy forces.

His service with the 9th Vermont Infantry also placed him within a regiment that participated in important operations during the Civil War.

Like many Union regiments, the 9th Vermont experienced a combination of combat, garrison duty, movement between theaters, and difficult field conditions.

Jewett’s record stands out because his Medal of Honor action came during a situation where disciplined withdrawal was essential.

His later military involvement in Vermont demonstrated that his connection to military service did not end with the Civil War.

His advancement to Colonel in the Vermont Militia showed that he continued to hold positions of leadership and responsibility.

This later rank adds another dimension to his biography.

He was not only a Civil War combat officer but also a man who remained active in organized military affairs after the conflict.

Erastus W. Jewett died on February 20, 1906.

By that time, more than four decades had passed since the Civil War.

The country had changed dramatically, but his Medal of Honor preserved the memory of his actions at Newport Barracks.

For his final hero profile, the key facts are clear.

Erastus W. Jewett served in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant in Company A, 9th Vermont Infantry.

His Medal of Honor action occurred at Newport Barracks, North Carolina, on February 2, 1864.

He helped resist a superior Confederate force, covered the withdrawal of Union troops, and participated in the destruction of bridges to slow the enemy advance.

For that conduct, he received the Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army.

No verified device or clasp is associated with the decoration.

His Medal of Honor action rank was First Lieutenant.

His later highest rank was Colonel in the Vermont Militia.

Erastus W. Jewett should ultimately be remembered as a Union officer whose bravery was expressed through disciplined leadership during a retreat.

His actions helped protect fellow soldiers from a larger enemy force and demonstrated courage under conditions where delay could have resulted in capture or destruction.

The Medal of Honor remains the defining symbol of his Civil War service, while his later rank of Colonel reflects the broader arc of a military career that continued beyond the battlefield.