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John P. Beech

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John P. Beech
Birth nameJohn Pointon Beech
Born(1844-05-01)May 1, 1844
Staffordshire, England
DiedNovember 27, 1926(1926-11-27) (aged 82)
New Jersey, U.S.
Buried
Mercer Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branch
Years of service1861–1865
RankSergeant
UnitNew Jersey 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment – Company B
Battles / wars
Awards Medal of Honor

Sergeant John Pointon Beech[note 1] (May 1, 1844 – November 27, 1926) was an English-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Beech was awarded the United States' highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, in Virginia, on May 12, 1864. He was honored with the award on June 1, 1894. Outside of his military career, he worked as a potter.

Biography

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John Pointon Beech was born in Staffordshire, England, on May 1, 1844.[2] With his family, he emigrated to the United States in 1849.[3] Beech joined the 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment at Trenton, New Jersey, on August 9, 1861, as a private.[1] On June 27, 1862, Beech was captured at the Battle of Gaines' Mill and then imprisoned at Belle Isle in Richmond, Virginia.[4]

On May 12, 1864, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, in Virginia, most of the members of an artillery battery, deployed in front of Beech's company, were killed by enemy fire. Beech voluntarily assisted the remaining artillery men, despite being under heavy fire.[5] It is for this act of bravery that he was awarded the Medal of Honor on June 1, 1894.[2] Beech was discharged on July 9, 1865, as Sergeant, Company B.[1]

Outside of his military career, Beech worked as a potter.[6]

Beech died on November 27, 1926, at his home;[7] he was buried at the Mercer Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey.[1] A marker commemorating Beech was erected in Trenton in 1992.[7]

Medal of Honor citation

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Voluntarily assisted in working the guns of a battery, all the members of which had been killed or wounded.[2]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ His surname is spelled Beach in a number of sources. Beech is the spelling on his tombstone and Medal of Honor citation.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Pvt John Pointon Beech". Antietam. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  2. ^ a b c "John P. Beech". The Wall of Valor Project. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  3. ^ Fair, Matt (2011-04-17). "Civil War 150th Anniversary highlights Mercer County's historical ties". NJ.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  4. ^ "Colonel William B. Hatch". DVRBS.COM. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  5. ^ "John P Beech". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  6. ^ Siegel, Alan A. (2001). Beneath the Starry Flag: New Jersey's Civil War Experience. Rutgers University Press. p. vii. ISBN 978-0-8135-2943-1.
  7. ^ a b "Sgt. John P. Beech Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
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