It was March 25, 1865. Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s formal surrender of his Army of Northern Virginia, was just weeks away – a surrender that is recognized as ending the Civil War. The Union army had placed Petersburg, Virginia, under a state of siege and it was taking its toll on the Confederates. Confederate Major General John B. Gordon had convinced Lee that the Southerners only hope was to launch a surprise offensive attack. One of the Union garrisons outside Petersburg was Fort Stedman, comparatively lightly fortified and fronting a Union supply depot. Gordon believed that a successful attack on the fort would not only capture badly needed supplies for his army, but also provide an opportunity to move onto City Point, just 10 miles away and the site of Union General Ulysses Grant’s headquarters and supply base. Gordon’s troops attacked around 4:00 a.m., catching the Union men by surprise and inflicting significant damage on the fort’s defenses. However, a counterattack and vicious crossfire ultimately repelled the assault and resulted in the capture of more than 1900 of Gordon’s men. The defeat was devastating to the Confederates, both in a physical and a morale sense. Petersburg would fall just a week later.

Sgt. Major Charles H. Pinkham

By James Gindlesperger, historical author

The initial attack by the Confederates had been a relatively stealthy one. Shadowy figures had taken advantage of the early morning fog to get close to the fort. Wearing strips of white cloth across their chests from the right shoulder to their left side and tied around their waists so they could recognize each other in the pre-dawn darkness, the Southerners had caught the Union army unprepared. Many of the Federal troops were still asleep, others had spent much of the night playing cards and imbibing a goodly amount of alcohol. Their conditions at that point did not lend themselves to offering much resistance.

Charles Pinkham had been one of those asleep. The war was winding down and the siege had definitely hurt the Rebels, but it had also lulled the men in Fort Stedman into a bit of complacency. Pinkham knew the end of the war couldn’t be far off, but he still held a healthy amount of respect for his foe and didn’t want to be on the wrong end of a fight at this late stage. Still, he was beginning to sleep soundly for the first time in months.

The sound of gunfire, followed by the familiar Rebel yell, drove Pinkham from his slumber. The men of the 57^th Massachusetts scurried to establish a defense but the attack had caught them unprepared. In a matter of minutes the regiment found itself retreating, with many of their comrades having already been killed or wounded. A large number were taken captive, and it wasn’t long until the attackers were in control of the camp. They also now held the regimental colors.

As the Rebels advanced through the camp, Union reinforcements under Brigadier General John Hartranft arrived. Hartranft organized his green Pennsylvania troops, along with the remainder of the 17^th Michigan and the 57^th Massachusetts, and began a counter offensive. Re-entering the fort, Pinkham dashed into the midst of the maelstrom with the rest of the blue clad line. Ignoring the balls that zipped past his head from both directions, he rushed to the tent where he had last seen the regiment’s flags. Spying his objective, he quickly snatched the colors from their staffs and ran back to the Union line with his recaptured prize.

His goal accomplished, he returned to the task of helping drive the attackers back out of the fort. In the process he saw the flag bearer for the 57^th North Carolina Infantry not far in front of him. Rushing to the man, he seized the Confederate’s colors and held them for the remainder of the fight.

When the battle ended, the fort was still in the hands of the Union. Some 2,000 Confederates had been taken captive, with another 900 killed or wounded. Union casualties totaled about 950. On April 1, Lee’s army would suffer another defeat at Five Forks, followed by the fall of Petersburg a day later. Then, another defeat at Sailor’s Creek on April 7. Just two days after that, on April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered his army to Grant and, except for a few scattered skirmishes, the war was over.

On April 15, 1895, Pinkham was presented with the Medal of Honor nearly 30 years after his courageous actions. His citation was brief and, considering the danger that he had faced, understated: Captured the flag of the 57th North Carolina Infantry (C.S.A.), and saved his own colors by tearing them from the staff while the enemy was in the camp.