James Martinus Schoonmaker
Encyclopedia
James Martinus Schoonmaker, Sr. (June 30, 1842 - October 11, 1927), was a German American
Colonel
in the Union Army
in the American Civil War
and a vice-president of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
. He received the Medal of Honor
for gallantry at the Third Battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864.
began and enlisted in a local company of recruits which was assigned to the 1st Maryland Cavalry. During the next thirteen months, he proved himself repeatedly in battle and in command of his troops.
Schoonmaker rose in the ranks until he commanded a cavalry brigade in the Army of the Shenandoah under the commander of Phillip Sheridan. At the Third Battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864, Schoonmaker led his troops in a dismounted charge against Confederate artillery in Fort Alabama (Star Fort). It was for this action he received the Medal of Honor on May 19, 1899. The Medal of Honor citation reads: "During the Battle of Star Fort, Virginia, at a critical period, gallantly led a cavalry charge against the left of the enemy's line of battle, drove the enemy out of his works, and captured many prisoners."
He was on the board of directors at Mellon Bank. He married Alice Brown and Rebekah Cook and had three children: Gretchen Schoonmaker, William Schoonmaker, and James Martinus Schoonmaker, Jr. He died on October 11, 1927 in Pittsburgh.
He is buried in Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh.
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in 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...
and a vice-president of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio at nearby Haselton, Ohio in the west and Connellsville, ...
. He 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 gallantry at the Third Battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864.
Biography
He was born in Peebles Twp. (subsequently Pittsburgh) on June 30, 1842 to James Schoonmaker and Mary Clark Stockton. James was a student at the Western University of Pennsylvania when the American Civil WarAmerican 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...
began and enlisted in a local company of recruits which was assigned to the 1st Maryland Cavalry. During the next thirteen months, he proved himself repeatedly in battle and in command of his troops.
Schoonmaker rose in the ranks until he commanded a cavalry brigade in the Army of the Shenandoah under the commander of Phillip Sheridan. At the Third Battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864, Schoonmaker led his troops in a dismounted charge against Confederate artillery in Fort Alabama (Star Fort). It was for this action he received the Medal of Honor on May 19, 1899. The Medal of Honor citation reads: "During the Battle of Star Fort, Virginia, at a critical period, gallantly led a cavalry charge against the left of the enemy's line of battle, drove the enemy out of his works, and captured many prisoners."
He was on the board of directors at Mellon Bank. He married Alice Brown and Rebekah Cook and had three children: Gretchen Schoonmaker, William Schoonmaker, and James Martinus Schoonmaker, Jr. He died on October 11, 1927 in Pittsburgh.
He is buried in Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh.
See also
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: Q–S
- German Americans in the Civil War