Nathaniel A. McKown

The Sergeant Who Seized a Flag at Chaffin's Farm

Nathaniel A. McKown was an American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient who distinguished himself during the Civil War through an act of bravery at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia, on September 29, 1864. Serving as a sergeant in Company B of the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry, he captured a Confederate flag during the fighting near Richmond. His action earned him the Medal of Honor, which was issued on April 6, 1865. He later attained the rank of first lieutenant.

McKown was born on March 11, 1838, in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. He grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania during the decades preceding the American Civil War. When the conflict began in 1861, Pennsylvania became an important source of volunteers for the Union Army. McKown entered military service that year and became a member of the 58th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, a regiment organized for service in the Union war effort.

The 58th Pennsylvania Infantry served in several military operations during the conflict. Its early assignments included duty in North Carolina, where Union forces maintained positions and conducted operations along the state's eastern waterways and transportation routes. In 1864, the regiment was transferred to Virginia, becoming involved in the continuing campaign against Confederate forces defending Richmond and Petersburg.

By September 1864, McKown held the rank of sergeant in Company B. His regiment was operating in a theater where Union forces were attempting to weaken the Confederate defenses protecting Richmond, the Confederate capital. These operations formed part of the broader Richmond–Petersburg Campaign, which continued through the final months of the war.

On September 29, 1864, Union forces under Major General Benjamin F. Butler launched a major attack against Confederate positions north of the James River. The operation involved assaults against fortified positions around Chaffin's Farm, including New Market Heights and Fort Harrison. These defenses formed an important part of the Confederate system protecting Richmond.

The attack began after Union troops crossed the James River during the night of September 28–29. Federal forces advanced against Confederate earthworks, encountering resistance from troops occupying prepared defensive positions. Although Union soldiers captured important sections of the Confederate defenses, other assaults were unsuccessful, and the fighting continued into the following day.

It was during the September 29 engagement that Sergeant McKown performed the action for which he became nationally recognized. While fighting at Chapin's Farm, he captured an enemy flag. The official account identifies the action simply as the capture of a flag, establishing the essential fact for which he received the Medal of Honor.

Regimental flags were significant military objects during the Civil War. They identified formations on the battlefield and helped soldiers recognize their units amid the confusion of combat. Capturing an enemy flag was therefore regarded as a notable military achievement, particularly when accomplished during an active engagement.

McKown's individual achievement occurred during one of the important Union operations against Richmond's defenses in 1864. The wider battle produced significant casualties on both sides. Union troops secured Fort Harrison and New Market Heights, although Confederate resistance prevented the complete breakthrough that Federal commanders had hoped to achieve.

On April 6, 1865, McKown received the Medal of Honor for his conduct at Chapin's Farm. The recognition came shortly before the collapse of the Confederacy's principal military position in Virginia and the surrender of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.

The Medal of Honor was the United States' highest military decoration for valor. McKown's award recognized his personal action as a sergeant of the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry rather than a general account of the regiment's operations. His name was subsequently preserved in official records of Civil War Medal of Honor recipients.

McKown's military career also included advancement beyond the enlisted rank he held during the battle. He attained the rank of first lieutenant, the highest military rank established in his recognized service history. His later rank must be distinguished from his position as a sergeant on September 29, 1864, when he performed the action that earned his decoration.

After the war, McKown returned to civilian life in Pennsylvania. He married Clarina Robinson, and the couple raised a family. By 1900, he was living in Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, where he was recorded as working as a traveling salesman. His household included his wife and several of their children.

McKown remained associated with northeastern Pennsylvania during his later years. His wartime service and the recognition he received for capturing an enemy flag continued to distinguish him among Pennsylvania's decorated Civil War veterans.

Nathaniel A. McKown died on August 11, 1902, at the age of 64. He was buried in Sunnyside Cemetery in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania.

McKown's historical legacy is centered on his service with the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry and his courage at Chaffin's Farm. His Medal of Honor preserves the record of a specific battlefield achievement during the struggle for Richmond. The capture of a Confederate flag on September 29, 1864, secured his place among the Union soldiers officially recognized for extraordinary bravery during the American Civil War.