Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War
Look for your ancestors in this PA genealogy database of American Civil War soldiers
| Home | Rosters | Regiments | Bates | Bios | Newspapers | Diaries | Flags | Draft | MOH | POWs | Pensions | Deaths | Counties |

PA Civil War > Medal of Honor > Sullivan County



PA Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients

The Medal of Honor, established by joint resolution of Congress, 12 July 1862 is awarded in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the Armed Services, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life. Incontestable proof of the performance of service is exacted and each recommendation for award of this decoration is considered on the standard of extraordinary merit. A large percent of Medal of Honor recipients were awarded for action involving flags.

Sullivan County


NOTE: An asterisk (*) denotes a posthumous award.



SULLIVAN COUNTY, PA





HOTTENSTINE, SOLOMON J.: Private, Company C, 107th Pennsylvania Infantry. Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad, Va., 19 August 1864. Citation given: 2 February 1865. Captured flag belonging to a North Carolina regiment, and through a ruse led them into the arms of Federal troops.

(Additional information 4/23/99 courtesy of Dick McCracken, Director, Bradford County Dept. of Veterans Affairs) Hottenstine was born in 1841 in Sullivan County and passed away in Manassas, VA on May 23, 1896. He is believed to be buried in or around Manassas. He entered the service on Feb. 25, 1862 and departed the military on July 13, 1865.

His deed is described as follows (Source: Our Boys in Blue; Vol I; by C.F. Heverly; 1898; Towanda, PA.; pp. 17-19): "A good-natured "Dutchman" who was braver than he was awkward, residing just across the line in Sullivan county, went out with the Overton boys, enlisting as a private in Co C of the 107th P.V. Infantry. Our hero was Solomon Hottenstein, familiarly known as Little Solly. That he was an excellent soldier and a brave man, may be seen from the following: At the Weldon railroad on the 19th of August, 1864, the enemy succeeded in flanking Crawford's division right and left, compelling it to fall back, and in the confusion taking many prisoners, the 107th losing six officers and 147 men, Private Hottenstein being one of the number. The young German did not like the idea of being a prisoner of war and moreover had a great horror for rebel prisons. He, therefore, proposed to make his escape or die in the attempt. He quietly got the ear of his companions and at the opportune moment, he leading the 300 others of the division who were prisoners with him, they sprang upon the guard, disarming them, forced them to yield, and brought them all into the Union lines. Hottenstein seized the color guard and tore the rebel flag, that of the 18th North Carolina, from his hands. For this act of gallantry he was awarded a furlough of thirty days and a medal of honor from the Secretary of War. Solly says that he 'got the medal but not the furlough. He was twice promoted for gallantry. He was wounded at Dabney Mills but continued in the service until his regiment was mustered out in July, 1865.

In 1885 Sergeant Hottenstein went South and purchased a farm, occupying a part of the old battlefield at Manassas, where he was residing at the time of his death, May 23, 1896, at the age of 55 years.










More about Sullivan County in the Civil War







Pennsylvania Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients:
Adams County | Allegheny County | Beaver County | Bedford County | Berks County | Blair County | Bradford County | Bucks County | Butler County | Cambria County | Centre County | Chester County | Clarion County | Columbia County | Crawford County | Cubmerland County | Dauphin County | Delaware County | Erie County | Fayette County | Franklin County | Greene County | Huntingdon County | Indiana County | Juniata County | Lackawanna County | Lancaster County | Lawrence County | Lebanon County | Lehigh County | Luzerne County | Lycoming County | Mercer County | Mifflin County | Montgomery County | Northampton County | Northumberland County | Philadelphia County | Pike County | Schuylkill County | Somerset County | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Tioga County | Union County | Warren County | Washington County | Wayne County | Westmoreland County | York County | Unknown Counties



Ancestry.com Civil War Databases

  • U.S. Civil War Soldiers
    6.3 million soldiers who served in the American Civil War.

  • Special Veterans' 1890 Census
    Lists the veteran's name or widow's name, rank, year of enlistment, and year of discharge.


  • Civil War POWs
    Confederate and Union Civil War Prisoners of War

  • PA Veteran Burials Records
    Index cards of burial records of Pennsylvania veterans 1777 - 1999 including the Civil War.

  • Civil War Collection
    Search all the Civil War databases View for free







    • Civil War Research

    Civil War Research
    Want to find out if your ancestor was a Civil War soldier? Follow these research ideas.













    Home | Search | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Want to Help?

    Copyright © Pennsylvania Civil War Volunteers 1997-2015 All rights reserved.