United States of America: An American Civil War First Battle of Bull Run July 1861 Medal of Honor recipient’s Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Membership Medal for an Original Companion, awarded to Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General William H. Withington, Union Army. As a Captain with Company B, Michigan Infantry Regiment - Jacksons Greys, he was belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions when at the First Battle of Bull Run on 21 jul 1861, he remained on the field and took command from his wounded superior officer, Orlando B. Willcox, until he too was wounded and eventually captured. His medal was belatedly given to him in January 1895. Released as part of a prisoner exchange in January 1862, he was commissioned as a Colonel into the newly formed 17th Michigan Infantry. He distinguished himself in command of his regiment at the Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, in September 1862, and also fought at Antiam, and for his distinguished service in these two actions, was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General. He later became a Republican politician in Michigan.
United States of America: Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Membership Medal for an Original Companion, either unmarked gold, or else bronze-gilt and enamels, reverse of suspension loop engraved with the recipient’s membership number: ‘3738’, which confirms this as Withington’s medal. Complete with the original ‘Original Companion’s’ ribbon, and with early slot brooch. As produced by Bailey, Banks and Biddle. Rare.
Condition: enamel work very good, overall Good Very Fine.
Together with a paper-back reprint of Withington’s book ‘The First Call of The Civil War: Personal Recollections of Michigan’s Response - Primary Source Edition.’ This was originally published during 1901.
William Herbert Withington was born on 1 February 1835 in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and was educated at Boston and Andover, being beginning a career in business. In 1857 he joined the firm of Pinney and Lamson, agricultural implement manufacturers, to oversee their contract for prison labour in Jackson, Michigan. Withington soon had the opportunity to acquire the business from his previous employers, and co-founded Withington & Cooley Manufacturing Company.
Owing to the outbreak of the American Civil War, in May 1861 Withington joined the Michigan Infantry Regiment, being commissioned as a Captain with Company B, nicknamed “Jacksons Greys”. In July 1861 the 1st Michigan were deeply involved in the first Battle of Bull Run at Manassas, Virginia. Several of the Company were cut off from Union Forces, and although Withington was reported as dead, but he was later found to have been wounded and amongst those taken prisoner of war by the Confederates. His release was negotiated as part of a prisoner exchange in January1862,
It was somewhat belatedly that Withington was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the first Battle of Bull Run on 21 July 1861, this award, the highest United States decoration for valour in the face of the enemy, being announced on 7 January 1895. The citation for his award specifically stated that Withington ‘remained on the field and took command from his wounded superior officer, Orlando B. Willcox, until he too was wounded and eventually captured.’
As a prisoner, and being only slightly wounded, Withington, despite his rank helped out as a hospital steward treating the wounded. As mentioned he was released from captivity in January 1862.
Commissioned as a Colonel into the newly formed 17th Michigan Infantry in August 1862, he commanded his regiment at the Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, in September 1862, and also fought at Antiam. During both of these actions he distinguished himself, and despite his having been discharged from the Union Army in March 1863, for his part in these last two battles, he was breveted Brigadier General of the United States Volunteers in March 1865. He remained active in the Michigan State Militia until 1883, and served on committees for Civil War memorials.
After his discharge from the Union Army, he returned to the management of his company in Jackson, Michigan, and having entered politics, as a Republican, he served in the Michigan State Legislature as Representative of Jackson Couty during 1873-1874, and as Senator of the Sixth District during 1891-1892. In 1894 he made an unsuccessful bid to be appointed to a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. Withington died on 27 June 1903. His extensive paperwork is now housed in the archives of the University of Michigan, this includes an excellent account of his initial period of captivity. With copied images of the recipient amongst the research.
