William Bumgarner

William Bumgarner: The Civil War Soldier Who Charged at Vicksburg and Earned the Medal of Honor

What does it take to volunteer for one of the most dangerous assaults of the American Civil War? For Sergeant William Bumgarner, it meant advancing with the storming party during the Union assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863. His courage during that attack earned him the United States Medal of Honor and secured his place among America's decorated Civil War soldiers.

Born on 12 July 1837 in Mason County, in what is now West Virginia, Bumgarner served in Company A, 4th West Virginia Infantry, during the American Civil War. Holding the rank of Sergeant, he took part in the Union campaign against Vicksburg, one of the most strategically important Confederate strongholds along the Mississippi River. During the assault, he distinguished himself through his participation in the volunteer storming party, an assignment that demanded exceptional courage under enemy fire.

His official Medal of Honor citation reads: "Gallantry in the charge of the 'volunteer storming party.'"

For this act of gallantry, Bumgarner received the Medal of Honor on 10 July 1894, more than three decades after the battle. His Civil War service also established his eligibility for the Civil War Campaign Medal, which was authorized for qualifying Union veterans many years after the conflict.

Following his military service, Bumgarner eventually settled in Indiana. He died in Liberty Center, Indiana, on 24 December 1911, and was laid to rest at Mossburg Cemetery.

William Bumgarner's story is a reminder that extraordinary courage is not always recorded in lengthy accounts. Sometimes, a single line in an official citation preserves the memory of a soldier who stepped forward when the danger was greatest. His gallantry at Vicksburg remains an enduring part of the history of the Medal of Honor and the 4th West Virginia Infantry.