Matthew Stanley Quay

Voluntarily resumed duty to lead a charge against the enemy.

Matthew Stanley Quay (September 30, 1833 – May 28, 1904) was an American military officer, Medal of Honor recipient, and United States Senator from Pennsylvania. During the American Civil War, he served as colonel of the 134th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and distinguished himself at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. Although illness had forced him to resign his military commission, Quay voluntarily returned to the battlefield and participated in the Union assault against Confederate positions at Marye's Heights. His conduct earned him the Medal of Honor on July 9, 1888.

Quay was born in Dillsburg, York County, Pennsylvania, the son of Reverend Anderson Quay, a Presbyterian minister, and Catherine McCain Quay. He received his early education at academies in Beaver and Indiana counties before entering Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1850 and subsequently studied law in Pittsburgh. Admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1854, he established a legal practice in Beaver.

His involvement in public administration began before the Civil War. In 1855, he was appointed prothonotary of Beaver County, a position responsible for maintaining official court records. He was elected to the office in 1856 and reelected in 1859. In October 1855, he married Agnes Barclay, with whom he raised a family.

When the American Civil War began in April 1861, Quay entered military service as a first lieutenant in Company F of the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves, officially designated the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry. His initial military appointment was followed by administrative responsibilities supporting Pennsylvania's wartime mobilization.

Quay served as assistant commissary general of Pennsylvania and became closely associated with Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin, whose administration played an important role in organizing troops and supporting Union military operations. He also worked as the governor's private military secretary, assisting with correspondence and matters relating to Pennsylvania soldiers.

In August 1862, Quay received command of the newly organized 134th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry with the rank of colonel. The regiment entered federal service during a period of intense military activity following Confederate advances into Maryland.

Under Quay's command, the 134th Pennsylvania joined the Army of the Potomac and participated in movements associated with the Maryland Campaign. The regiment arrived near Antietam shortly after the principal battle on September 17, 1862, and did not take part in that engagement. It subsequently moved into Virginia as Union forces prepared for further operations against General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

During this period, Quay became seriously ill with typhoid fever. His declining health interfered with his ability to command, and he submitted his resignation from military service. His commission ended in early December 1862, shortly before the Union Army launched its attack at Fredericksburg.

Despite his resignation, Quay remained near his former regiment as preparations for battle continued. Rather than immediately leaving the army, he volunteered to serve as an aide to Brigadier General Erastus B. Tyler, whose brigade included the 134th Pennsylvania Infantry.

On December 13, 1862, Union troops under Major General Ambrose E. Burnside attacked Confederate defensive positions west of Fredericksburg. The Confederate forces occupied fortified ground around Marye's Heights, where infantry protected by a stone wall and supporting artillery commanded the approaches across open terrain.

Tyler's brigade took part in the Union assault against these defenses. Quay accompanied the advancing troops despite having relinquished his regular command and despite his recent illness. The attacking soldiers encountered concentrated Confederate fire as they moved toward the fortified position.

The assault failed to break the Confederate line, and Union forces sustained severe casualties. Quay survived the fighting and subsequently returned to administrative military duties. His voluntary participation at Fredericksburg became the most significant documented act of gallantry in his military career.

On July 9, 1888, Quay received the Medal of Honor for his conduct during the battle. The official citation recognized his decision to resume duty voluntarily on the eve of the engagement and his conspicuous participation in the charge against the Confederate heights. The award acknowledged an extraordinary action undertaken after he had already left active military service.

Following his departure from field command, Quay continued supporting Pennsylvania's wartime administration. He served as the state's military agent in Washington, D.C., and later as military secretary to Governor Curtin. These responsibilities involved communication between state authorities, federal officials, and Pennsylvania soldiers during the remaining years of the Civil War.

After the war, Quay resumed his political career. He served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives during the 1865, 1866, and 1867 legislative sessions, representing Beaver and Washington counties. He subsequently became associated with the Beaver Radical, a Republican newspaper that he owned and edited during the late 1860s and early 1870s.

Quay's political influence expanded through his involvement in the Republican Party's organization in Pennsylvania. He served as Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1873 to 1878 and again from 1879 to 1882. He also briefly held the position of Recorder of Philadelphia and chaired the Republican State Committee.

In 1885, Quay was elected Pennsylvania State Treasurer, serving from 1886 until 1887. His success strengthened his position within the Republican Party and preceded his election to the United States Senate in 1887.

As a senator, Quay became a prominent figure in Pennsylvania and national politics. His influence extended beyond legislative work into party organization, electoral strategy, and political appointments. He chaired the Republican National Committee during the 1888 presidential campaign, which resulted in Benjamin Harrison's election as president.

Quay continued to exercise considerable influence over Pennsylvania Republican politics throughout the following decade. His leadership, however, was also controversial. Critics challenged his control of political appointments and party affairs, and allegations concerning the handling of public funds led to criminal proceedings against him in 1899. He was acquitted, but the controversy contributed to a prolonged dispute over his return to the Senate.

After the Pennsylvania legislature failed to elect a senator in 1899, Quay remained out of the chamber for nearly two years. He was elected again in January 1901 and resumed his Senate service, which continued until his death.

During his later years, Quay remained involved in Republican politics and supported policies intended to protect Pennsylvania's manufacturing interests, particularly protective tariffs. His political career extended across several decades of significant economic and institutional change in the United States.

Matthew Stanley Quay died in Beaver, Pennsylvania, on May 28, 1904, at the age of seventy. He was buried in Beaver Cemetery in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Quay's documented career combined Civil War military service with decades of state and national political activity. His Medal of Honor commemorates his voluntary return to the battlefield at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, while his subsequent public career included service in the Pennsylvania legislature, leadership of the Republican National Committee, and two periods representing Pennsylvania in the United States Senate.