Charles E. Phelps

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For other persons named Charles Phelps, see Charles Phelps (disambiguation).

Charles Edward Phelps
May 1, 1833(1833-05-01) – December 27, 1908 (aged 75)
Medal of Honor recipient
Place of birth	Guilford, Vermont
Allegiance	Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	7th Maryland Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Charles Edward Phelps (May 1, 1833 – December 27, 1908) rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army in the Civil War, served as a city councilman, a U.S. Congressman from the third district of Maryland, and received the Medal of Honor.

1 Biography
2 Medal of Honor citation
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References

[edit] Biography

Phelps was born in Guilford, Vermont, on May 1, 1833. At the age of 5, he moved with his parents to Pennsylvania, and at the age of 8 to Maryland. He matriculated at Princeton University, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity, graduating in 1853. He subsequently sought a career in law, and joined the Maryland bar in 1855. He admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States in 1859. In 1860, he was elected to the Baltimore city council.

In 1861, he was commissioned a major of the Maryland Guard, and, in 1862, he was raised to Lieutenant Colonel of the Seventh Maryland Volunteers, fighting for the Union. He was honorably discharged on account of wounds in 1864, and was shortly thereafter elected as congressman from the 3rd district of Maryland to the Thirty-Ninth Congress. He was subsequently given commission as brevet Brigadier General, and received the Medal of Honor for valor at the Battle of Spotsylvania.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

Colonel, 7th Maryland Infantry. Place and date: At Laurel Hill, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born: 1 May 1833, Guilford, Vt. Date of issue: 30 March 1898.

Citation:

Rode to the head of the assaulting column, then much broken by severe losses and faltering under the close fire of artillery, placed himself conspicuously in front of the troops, and gallantly rallied and led them to within a few feet of the enemy's works, where he was severely wounded and captured.^[1]