Newton H. Hall

He Crossed Enemy Fire to Capture Two Battle Flags

Newton H. Hall (August 4, 1842 – October 19, 1911) was an American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient who distinguished himself during the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864. Serving as a corporal in Company I of the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Hall advanced beyond the Union defensive position during intense fighting and captured Confederate battle colors. His gallantry was recognized with the Medal of Honor on February 13, 1865.

Hall was born in Brimfield Township, Portage County, Ohio, on August 4, 1842. He was the son of William Hall and Bethiah Palmer Hall. His paternal grandfather, Benjamin Hall, had moved from Vermont to Brimfield Township in 1819, while his maternal grandfather, John Palmer, was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Hall grew up in the rural community of Brimfield and received his education in the local common schools.

When the American Civil War began in 1861, Hall was living in Portage County. On August 4, 1862, his twentieth birthday, he enlisted in the Union Army and joined Company I of the newly organized 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He initially served as a private before advancing to the rank of corporal.

The 104th Ohio entered federal service during a period of expanding military operations in the Western Theater. In September 1862, the regiment moved to northern Kentucky during the Confederate campaign that threatened Cincinnati, Ohio. The regiment subsequently participated in operations in Kentucky and Tennessee.

During 1863, Hall served in the Tennessee campaign under Major General Ambrose E. Burnside. Union forces advanced into East Tennessee, securing important towns and transportation routes while confronting Confederate opposition. The 104th Ohio remained engaged in military operations in the region before being reassigned for the campaigns of 1864.

In the spring of 1864, the regiment joined the Union advance into Georgia as part of Major General William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. The operation involved a prolonged series of marches, maneuvers, and engagements against Confederate forces defending northern Georgia and the approaches to Atlanta.

Hall continued serving with the 104th Ohio during the campaign. Following the capture of Atlanta, the regiment moved north into Tennessee as Confederate General John Bell Hood launched an offensive intended to threaten Union positions and supply routes.

By November 1864, the 104th Ohio was serving in the XXIII Corps under Major General John M. Schofield. Union forces withdrew northward through Tennessee while attempting to prevent Hood's army from cutting off their retreat toward Nashville.

On November 30, 1864, Schofield's forces reached Franklin, Tennessee, where they established defensive positions south of the Harpeth River. The 104th Ohio occupied part of the Union line near the Columbia Pike alongside the 100th Ohio Infantry.

The regiment constructed breastworks to protect its position. These defenses became critically important later that afternoon when Confederate infantry advanced across the open ground south of Franklin.

The Confederate assault developed into one of the fiercest engagements of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign. Attacking soldiers advanced toward the Union earthworks, while defending infantry opened fire from their fortified positions.

The 104th Ohio faced repeated Confederate attacks. During the first major assault, retreating Union troops from an advanced position passed through the defensive line with Confederate soldiers following close behind. Some attackers reached the ditches immediately in front of the breastworks, and others temporarily penetrated parts of the Union position.

The defenders continued firing into the advancing Confederate formations. The regiment helped repel the initial attack and resisted a second determined assault as darkness approached.

It was during this fighting that Corporal Hall performed the action for which he became nationally recognized.

Serving as a color corporal, Hall observed Confederate battle flags being carried toward the Union defenses. During the heaviest exchange of fire, he shot two Confederate color bearers and advanced beyond the defensive position to seize their flags.

His regimental commander, Colonel Oscar W. Sterl, recorded that Hall personally captured two Confederate battle flags during the engagement. The officer's account distinguished Hall's actions from the other flag captures made along the regiment's front.

Capturing an enemy battle flag was a significant military accomplishment during the Civil War. Regimental colors helped soldiers identify their formations in combat, and their loss could represent a serious blow to a unit's battlefield organization.

Hall's advance placed him in immediate danger from Confederate fire. Nevertheless, he secured the captured colors and survived the engagement.

The 104th Ohio remained in its defensive position until late that evening. After the Confederate assaults had been repulsed, the regiment withdrew across the Harpeth River with the rest of the Union force and continued its movement toward Nashville.

The battle resulted in heavy Confederate casualties and prevented Hood's army from destroying Schofield's withdrawing command at Franklin. Hall's regiment had taken prisoners and captured numerous Confederate flags while defending its section of the Union line.

On February 13, 1865, Hall received the Medal of Honor for his conduct at Franklin. His official citation recognized the capture of a Confederate flag believed to have belonged to Stewart's Corps. The contemporary regimental account provided the additional detail that he had captured two flags during the fighting.

Hall's recognition came while the Civil War was still underway. He continued in military service during the final months of the conflict as the 104th Ohio took part in subsequent Union operations.

After the Battle of Franklin, the regiment participated in the Nashville Campaign under Major General George H. Thomas. It later served in Washington, D.C., and North Carolina before completing its wartime service.

Hall was honorably discharged from the Union Army on June 14, 1865. His military career had lasted nearly three years and had included service in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and other areas of Union operations.

Following his discharge, Hall returned to Brimfield Township, Ohio, where he resumed civilian life and engaged in farming. He remained in the community for approximately sixteen years after the war.

On April 15, 1874, Hall married Stella Woodward, the daughter of James and Maria Hopkins Woodward of Kent, Ohio. The couple had two daughters, Anna and Helen.

Hall continued farming until 1881, when he and his family moved to Kent. During the same year, he became involved in commercial activities in Boardman, Ohio, where he held an interest in a planing mill and lumber business.

His work in the lumber trade marked a transition from farming to business ownership. The enterprise involved the processing and sale of lumber and related materials, and Hall remained associated with the business during the years following his move to Kent.

Hall was also a member of the Masonic fraternity. His documented civilian life included family responsibilities, business interests, and participation in the local community.

He remained in Ohio throughout his later years. His military service and Medal of Honor continued to be recorded in historical accounts of Portage County and the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Newton H. Hall died on October 19, 1911, at the age of sixty-nine. He was buried in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Portage County, Ohio, in Lot 127 of the cemetery's New Addition.

Hall's documented military career included nearly three years of Union Army service, participation in major operations in the Western Theater, and his actions at Franklin on November 30, 1864. His Medal of Honor commemorates his advance under Confederate fire to capture enemy battle colors, an achievement preserved in the official records of the 104th Ohio Infantry and the history of the Battle of Franklin.