| Jefferson Coates | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 24, 1843 |
| Died | January 27, 1880 (aged 36) |
| Place of birth | Grant County, Wisconsin |
| Place of burial | Dorchester Cemetery Dorchester, Nebraska |
| Allegiance |
 United States of AmericaUnion |
| Service/branch |
U.S. Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861 - 1864 |
| Rank |
 Brevet Captain |
| Unit |
 Company H, 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry |
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War *Battle of South Mountain *Battle of Gettysburg |
| Awards |
 Medal of Honor |
Francis Jefferson Coates (August 24, 1843 – January 27, 1880) was a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of 64 men who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Biography[]
Coates was born 24 August 1843 in Grant County, Wisconsin to William Coates and Cynthia Cain. Although born in Grant County his official residence was listed as Boscobel, Wisconsin.[1]
Coates joined the Union Army on 29 August 1861 (a few days after his 18th birthday), and served with the 7th Wisconsin Infantry. He was wounded while fighting in the Battle of South Mountain and during the Battle of Gettysburg where he received the Medal of Honor and a brevet promotion to Captain for courage in battle. During the Battle of Gettysburg he was shot in the face, causing him to lose both of his eyes. He was mustered out for disability on September 1, 1864 at the end of his term of service.
Despite having become completely blind, Coates learned how to make brooms after the war and married Rachael Sarah Drew April 21, 1867. Together they had 5 children and sometime between 1870 and 1873, they moved to Dorchester, Nebraska.
He died of pneumonia in Dorchester, Nebraska January 27, 1880 and is buried in Dorchester Cemetery in Dorchester.
Medal of Honor citation[]
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism on 1 July 1863, while serving with Company H, 7th Wisconsin Infantry, in action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for unsurpassed courage in battle, where he had both eyes shot out.
See also[]
References[]
External links[]
- "Jefferson Coates". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19733. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- "Home of Heroes". http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_1862_cwa/coates.html. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- "Wisconsin History". http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=3898&qstring=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wisconsinhistory.org%2Fwhi%2Fresults.asp%3Fsubject_narrow%3DVeterans. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- "Home of Heroes grave". http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/states/pages_af/coates_jefferson.html. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- "Civil War in the East". http://civilwarintheeast.com/People/C/CoatesF.php. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
The original article can be found at Jefferson Coates and the edit history here.