Henry W. Downs
Recipient of the Medal of Honor
About Henry W. Downs
Lived 1844 – 1911 (aged 66).
Henry W. Downs (August 29, 1844 – July 2, 1911) was a Union Army soldier serving in the 8th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Opequon more commonly called the Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia on September 19, 1864. He is buried at Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.
Medal of Honor citation "The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Henry W. Downs, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 19 September 1864, while serving with Company I, 8th Vermont Infantry, in action at Winchester, Virginia. With one comrade, Sergeant Downs voluntarily crossed an open field, exposed to a raking fire, and returned with a supply of ammunition, successfully repeating the attempt a short time thereafter."
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henry W. Downs's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry W. Downs?
Recipient of the Medal of Honor
When was Henry W. Downs born?
Henry W. Downs was born on 29 August 1844 in Jamaica.
When did Henry W. Downs die?
Henry W. Downs died on 2 July 1911.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry W. Downs. https://biography.guide/henry-w-downs/
MLA: "Henry W. Downs." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-w-downs/.
Chicago: "Henry W. Downs." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-w-downs/.
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