Thomas Worcester Hyde

Through shot and shell, he led and saved his battered men!!!

Thomas Worcester Hyde was born in Florence, Italy, on 16 January 1841 and became a Union Army officer with the 7th Maine Infantry. At Antietam he was a major commanding men in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.

On 17 September 1862, Hyde led his regiment in an assault under devastating fire. He continued until most of his men had been killed or wounded, then brought the survivors out of the position. His leadership in that attack was recognized decades later with the Medal of Honor, presented on 8 April 1891.

Medal of Honor Citation (condensed): At Antietam, Hyde led his regiment in an assault despite catastrophic losses and, after most of the command had fallen, brought the surviving men safely out of the fight.

Hyde remained prominent after the war and died on 14 November 1899 at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Bath, Maine. Sources do not summarize his highest brevet rank consistently; the biography therefore states his action rank and leaves the existing rank field unchanged.