Joseph Leonard Follett

Captured, He Escaped to Resupply the Union Guns

Captured by Confederate forces, he escaped and returned with desperately needed ammunition before an hour had passed. On December 31, 1862, during the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee, Sergeant Joseph Leonard Follett of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination. Already distinguished for remaining at his post despite a severe wound earlier that year, Follett risked his life to keep Union artillery supplied during a critical battle. His bravery in two separate engagements eventually earned him the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration for valor.

Joseph Leonard Follett was born on February 16, 1843, in Newark, New Jersey. During his childhood, his family relocated to Missouri, where his father became involved in the carriage manufacturing business in St. Louis. Growing up during a period of increasing political tension, Follett witnessed the divisions that eventually led to the American Civil War.

When the conflict erupted in April 1861, Missouri became a particularly important and divided border state. Although Missouri remained in the Union, significant Confederate sympathies existed throughout the state. Control of St. Louis, its military facilities, and its transportation connections was essential to Federal operations in the Mississippi Valley.

Follett was living in St. Louis when the war began. On April 23, 1861, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted in Company G of the 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry. His decision placed him among the early Union volunteers who helped secure Missouri during the opening months of the conflict.

The regiment participated in operations intended to strengthen Federal authority in Missouri and prevent Confederate forces from gaining control of strategically important positions. Following its initial period of service, the organization underwent changes, and Follett continued his military career with the 1st Missouri Light Artillery.

By September 1861, he was serving with Battery G, a formation also known as Hescock's Battery after its early commander, Captain Henry Hescock. Artillery service required technical knowledge, strict discipline, and close cooperation among the soldiers responsible for operating the guns, handling ammunition, maintaining equipment, and transporting the battery during military campaigns.

Unlike infantry soldiers, whose primary responsibilities involved direct fighting with small arms, artillerymen operated weapons capable of supporting Union forces over considerable distances. Their effectiveness depended upon properly positioned guns, sufficient ammunition, reliable transportation, and the ability to continue firing despite enemy attacks.

During the early months of 1862, Follett's artillery unit became involved in operations along the Mississippi River. Union commanders recognized the strategic importance of gaining control of the river, which served as a major transportation route for Confederate supplies and military movements.

One of the principal Confederate defensive positions was located near New Madrid, Missouri, and Island Number Ten. These locations protected a strategically important section of the Mississippi River and presented a significant obstacle to Union operations.

Major General John Pope led Federal troops against the Confederate positions during the campaign. Union artillery supported efforts to isolate the enemy defenses and force their abandonment.

On March 3, 1862, during operations near New Madrid, Follett suffered a severe wound while performing his military duties. Despite his injury, he remained at his post rather than withdrawing from service.

His determination to continue working while wounded became the first of two extraordinary actions later recognized in his Medal of Honor citation.

The precise circumstances of his injury are not extensively described in the official citation, but its significance is clear. Follett remained on duty despite suffering a serious battlefield wound, demonstrating the discipline and endurance expected of an artilleryman operating under dangerous conditions.

The Union campaign against New Madrid and Island Number Ten eventually succeeded, contributing to Federal control of important sections of the Mississippi River. These victories weakened Confederate defensive positions and supported the wider Union strategy of opening the river to military and commercial navigation.

Follett continued serving despite the physical consequences of his injury. On May 9, 1862, he was wounded again during fighting near Farmington, Mississippi. Contemporary accounts of his service emphasize that, despite suffering two wounds during the war, he remained committed to his military responsibilities.

His experience in the artillery gradually brought him greater responsibility. By October 1862, he was serving as a First Sergeant and had assumed command responsibilities within his battery during the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky.

The Battle of Perryville, fought on October 8, 1862, was one of the most important engagements of the Confederate campaign in Kentucky. Union forces under Major General Don Carlos Buell confronted Confederate troops commanded by General Braxton Bragg, preventing the Confederate offensive from securing its larger strategic objectives.

As a senior noncommissioned officer, Follett's responsibilities required leadership, organization, and a thorough understanding of artillery operations. Maintaining the effectiveness of a battery during combat demanded the ability to respond quickly to changing battlefield conditions.

Later that year, Union and Confederate forces prepared for another major confrontation in Tennessee.

After the Confederate withdrawal from Kentucky, Bragg established his army near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Major General William S. Rosecrans, commanding the Union Army of the Cumberland, advanced from Nashville in an effort to challenge the Confederate position.

The opposing armies approached one another during the final days of December 1862. On December 31, Confederate forces launched a powerful surprise attack against the Union right flank, beginning the Battle of Stones River.

The Confederate assault initially achieved considerable success. Union units were forced backward, defensive positions were disrupted, and thousands of soldiers became involved in desperate fighting across fields, wooded areas, and difficult terrain.

As the battle intensified, Union artillery became essential to preventing a complete collapse of the Federal line. Batteries were repositioned to support infantry formations and resist repeated Confederate attacks.

Maintaining the artillery's ammunition supply was particularly important. Without sufficient ammunition, even well-positioned guns could not continue supporting Union troops against advancing Confederate forces.

During the fighting, Sergeant Follett undertook the dangerous responsibility of obtaining ammunition from a supply train and delivering it to the batteries.

While carrying out this assignment, he was captured by Confederate soldiers. His capture threatened to prevent the urgently needed ammunition from reaching the artillery positions.

Rather than remain in enemy custody, Follett managed to escape. He then resumed his original mission, successfully secured the ammunition, and returned to the Union batteries.

Remarkably, less than one hour had passed between his capture and the successful delivery of the supplies.

His actions demonstrated exceptional determination. Having escaped captivity, Follett chose to complete the dangerous mission rather than abandon the effort or withdraw to safety.

The ammunition he delivered helped maintain the operational readiness of the Union artillery during a battle in which artillery fire played an essential role in resisting the Confederate assault.

His conduct at Stones River became the second extraordinary act later recognized by the United States Army. Together with his refusal to abandon duty after being wounded at New Madrid, it established the record of courage upon which his Medal of Honor was awarded.

The Battle of Stones River continued into the opening days of January 1863. Both armies suffered severe casualties, and the Confederate forces eventually withdrew from the battlefield.

The Union victory strengthened Federal control in central Tennessee and provided an important military and political success at a difficult stage of the war.

Follett's wartime career continued beyond these two distinguished actions. As an experienced artilleryman, he assumed increasing responsibilities during subsequent Union campaigns.

At approximately twenty-one years of age, he had advanced to Second Lieutenant. In later accounts of his military service, Follett described organizing and equipping a six-gun artillery battery before reporting for duty near Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.

His appointment as an officer reflected his progression from an enlisted volunteer to a position of command responsibility.

During subsequent service around Chattanooga, Follett commanded Fort Sheridan, one of the defensive positions associated with the Union military installations protecting the area.

Chattanooga had become strategically important following the Union victory there in November 1863. The city provided essential railroad connections and served as a base for further Federal operations into the Deep South.

Maintaining its defenses required the construction and operation of artillery positions, fortified works, and supporting military installations.

Follett's responsibilities at Fort Sheridan placed him in charge of an artillery position within this wider defensive system. His duties demanded both technical military knowledge and the ability to supervise the personnel responsible for maintaining the fortification.

He later served as adjutant of the Artillery District of the Etowah under General James B. Steedman. This district included important defensive positions around Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, and Bridgeport.

The appointment involved administrative and operational responsibilities connected with artillery organization and the coordination of military defenses.

Throughout his wartime service, Follett developed a reputation for reliability and determination. Accounts of his military career describe his willingness to carry orders under dangerous circumstances and his continued performance of duty despite injuries sustained during earlier fighting.

By the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, he had completed approximately four years of Union military service. His career had taken him from an early volunteer enlistment through artillery operations, battlefield wounds, captivity, escape, and commissioned officer responsibilities.

Following the war, Follett returned to civilian life. His later years included residence in New York, and he maintained connections with the generation of Union veterans whose military experiences had shaped the nation during the Civil War.

His distinguished military service eventually received formal recognition more than twenty-eight years after his heroic actions.

On September 19, 1890, Joseph Leonard Follett was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery at New Madrid, Missouri, on March 3, 1862, and Stones River, Tennessee, on December 31, 1862.

The Medal of Honor had been established during the American Civil War to recognize exceptional military courage and distinguished service. Over time, it became the United States' highest military decoration for valor.

Follett's award was particularly significant because it recognized two separate demonstrations of bravery during the same year.

At New Madrid, he had remained on duty despite being severely wounded. At Stones River, he had escaped Confederate captivity, secured urgently needed ammunition, and supplied the Union batteries less than an hour after his capture.

Both actions reflected the vital responsibilities of artillery soldiers. Their contributions depended not only upon firing weapons but also upon ensuring that the batteries remained supplied, organized, and capable of continuing their duties under enemy pressure.

Follett's recognition also reflected the importance of soldiers whose extraordinary actions occurred away from the most visible moments of infantry combat. His courage was demonstrated through endurance, resourcefulness, and the determination to complete essential military assignments despite serious danger.

During his later years, Follett remained associated with veterans' organizations and fraternal activities. Historical accounts record that he maintained membership in the Masonic fraternity for approximately forty-two years, reflecting a long-standing connection with the organization.

Joseph Leonard Follett died on April 1, 1907, in New York City, at the age of sixty-four. He was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery in New York, where his final resting place commemorates his military service and Medal of Honor recognition.

His legacy remains closely connected to the two extraordinary actions that distinguished his Civil War career.

At New Madrid, he demonstrated resilience by remaining at his post after suffering a severe wound. At Stones River, he showed remarkable determination by escaping enemy captivity and returning with ammunition needed by the Union artillery.

The Medal of Honor awarded to Joseph Leonard Follett stands as a lasting tribute to his courage, endurance, and devotion to duty. From his early service as a young Missouri volunteer to his later responsibilities as an artillery officer, his career reflected the dedication of soldiers who helped sustain the Union war effort through some of its most demanding campaigns.

His story remains an enduring example of battlefield bravery, demonstrating that extraordinary heroism can emerge not only through direct combat but also through perseverance, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to completing a critical mission despite overwhelming danger.