The two soldiers carried out an ambitious mission to hijack a Confederate railroad.
President Joe Biden posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to two Civil War soldiers, presenting the medals to the living descendants of Privates Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson.
These two men helped to hijack a Confederate train line as part of The Great Locomotive Chase, disrupting communications and the flow of military supplies between Tennessee and Georgia. But after accomplishing this ambitious mission, Shadrach and Wilson were some of the first members of their crew to be captured and were sentenced by Confederate courts to be executed by hanging in the public square.
“Two soldiers … died because of that operation but never received this recognition,” Biden said during the White House ceremony. “Today, we right that wrong. Today, they finally receive the recognition they deserve.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- That God would use the legacy of Privates Shadrach and Wilson and be glorified and honored through their memory.
- For the men and women of the U.S. military as they serve their country each day.
- For President Joe Biden as he serves as the Commander in Chief for the U.S. Armed Forces.
Sources: Department of Defense
