Smith H. Hastings

Smith H. Hastings
Hastings' burial marker in Riverside Cemetery, Colorado
Born	December 27, 1843 Quincy, Michigan
Died	October 13, 1905 (aged 61)
Buried at	Denver, Colorado
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Rank	Colonel[1]
Unit	Company M, 5th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Smith H. Hastings (December 27, 1843 - October 13, 1905) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.^[2]

Hastings was born in Quincy, Michigan on December 27, 1843. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, for extraordinary heroism on July 24, 1863, while serving as a Captain with Company M, 5th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, at Newbys Crossroads, Virginia. His Medal of Honor was issued on August 2, 1897.^[3]

He died at the age of 61, on October 13, 1905 and was buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain Smith H. Hastings, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 24 July 1863, while serving with Troop M, 5th Michigan Cavalry, in action at Newbys Crossroads, Virginia. While in command of a squadron in rear guard of a cavalry division, then retiring before the advance of a corps of infantry, Captain Hastings was attacked by the enemy and, orders having been given to abandon the guns of a section of field artillery with the rear guard that were in imminent danger of capture, he disregarded the orders received and aided in repelling the attack and saving the guns.^[4]

References

1. History of the United States Cavalry. Gale Cengage Learning. p. 332. ISBN 978-1-4328-0956-0.
2. "Medal of Honor Recipients". United States Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
3. "HASTINGS, SMITH H.". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
4. "Valor awards for Smith H. Hastings". Military Times, Hall of Valor. Retrieved 10 August 2014.

External links

"Smith H. Hastings". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 10 August 2014.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.