Abner P. Allen was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soldier who received the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 for valor during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

.

Biography

Allen was born in Woodford County, Illinois. On September 2, 1861 he joined the 39th Illinois infantry Regiment

39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 39th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, nicknamed "Yates' Phalanx," was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...

 and remained with the unit until mustered out on December 6, 1865.

By the time the 39th was involved in the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...

, Allen was a corporal in Company K. When the regiment (as part of the XXIV Corps

XXIV Corps (ACW)

XXIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.In December 1864, the white and black units of the Army of the James were divided into two corps. The black troops were sent to the XXV Corps; the white troops became the XXIV Corps, under the command of Edward O. Ord...

 under Major General John Gibbon

John Gibbon

John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...

) was assaulting Fort Gregg

Fort Gregg

Fort Gregg was a Confederate fort located near Petersburg, Virginia.The battle for Fort Gregg occurred on April 2, 1865, in Dinwiddie County near the outskirts of Petersburg.-External links:* at the Historical Markers Database...

 on April 2, 1865 under heavy fire, he was at the front as a color bearer.

At the surrender ceremony at Appomattox Courthouse a week later, Allen was given the honor of carrying Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

' flag. He later traveled to Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 with General Gibbon and 76 captured Confederate colors. He received his medal there from Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

Allen died in 1905 and is buried in Centerburg Cemetery, Centerburg, Ohio

Centerburg, Ohio

Centerburg is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States, along the North Fork of the Licking River. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 1,773.-Geography:Centerburg is located at ....

.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, Company K, 39th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865. Entered service at: Bloomington, Ill. Birth: Woodford County, Ill. Date of issue: May 12, 1865.

Citation:

Gallantry as color bearer in the assault on Fort Gregg.

See also

• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: A–F

External links