Wells Howard Blodgett

Two Union soldiers against eight armed Confederates. No overwhelming numbers, no reinforcements at their side, just extraordinary courage and a daring decision. On September 30, 1862, near Newtonia, Missouri, First Lieutenant Wells Howard Blodgett carried out a remarkable act of battlefield heroism that would earn him the Medal of Honor, America's highest military decoration for valor.

Born on January 29, 1839, in Downers Grove, Illinois, Wells H. Blodgett grew up in a pioneering Illinois family and studied law before the outbreak of the American Civil War. Answering the Union's call to arms in 1861, he joined Company D of the 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and received a commission as first lieutenant. His military service soon carried him into the fierce fighting for control of Missouri and Arkansas.

Blodgett served during the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, where Union forces secured a crucial victory. Later that year, near Newtonia, he displayed the audacity that would define his military legacy. While carrying orders, he and a single orderly encountered an armed Confederate picket. Rather than retreat, the two men charged and captured eight enemy soldiers, bringing them back as prisoners.

His official Medal of Honor citation states: "With a single orderly, captured an armed picket of eight men and marched them in as prisoners."

But Newtonia was only one chapter in Blodgett's remarkable wartime career. During the Prairie Grove campaign in December 1862, he served as a battlefield courier, carrying essential orders between Generals Francis J. Herron and James G. Blunt. Both commanders reportedly expressed their personal thanks for his service. In January 1863, during the Confederate attack on Springfield, Missouri, Blodgett was wounded in the right leg. He later commanded Company D during operations against Confederate forces at Chalk Bluff.

His courage and leadership were accompanied by legal ability. Promoted to captain, he also received an appointment as judge advocate of the Army of the Frontier with the rank of major. His career ultimately brought him command of the 48th Missouri Volunteer Infantry and promotion to colonel, with responsibilities extending into the final months of the Civil War.

Recognition for his extraordinary courage at Newtonia arrived more than three decades later. On February 15, 1894, Blodgett received the Medal of Honor. His Union Army service also met the historical service requirements for the Civil War Campaign Medal, established in 1907, although individual issuance of that medal to him has not been conclusively documented.

After the war, Blodgett built a distinguished career in law and public service. He served in the Missouri legislature and state senate and became a prominent railroad attorney, holding senior legal positions associated with the Wabash Railroad. His accomplishments reflected a lifetime of military courage, professional responsibility and public contribution.

Wells Howard Blodgett died on May 8, 1929, at the age of 90 and was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. From the battlefield at Pea Ridge to his extraordinary capture near Newtonia, his life remains a powerful example of courage, initiative and leadership. His legacy reminds us that extraordinary military achievements can begin with a single brave decision.