James G . Grindlay James Glas Grindlay ( February 14 , 1840 – October 19 , 1907 ) was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor , for his actions during the Battle of Five Forks . He served with the 146th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and rose to become commander of that unit for the last year of the war . He twice briefly led his brigade after his superior officers became casualties , and was brevetted brigadier general shortly before the end of the conflict . Early life . Born in Edinburgh , Scotland , Grindlay immigrated to the United States as a young man . He was trained as a clerk , accountant , and insurance agent . Before enlisting in the Army he worked as a bookkeeper for a tannery in Boonville , New York . Civil War service . Grindlay enlisted from Boonville on September 8 , 1862 for a three - year term of service in the Union Army . He joined Company D of the 146th New York Infantry as a captain . In May and June 1864 the regiment took part in General Ulysses S . Grant ' s Overland Campaign in Virginia . At the Battle of the Wilderness in the first week of May , the 146th took heavy casualties . Both the regimental commander and the second - in - command were killed in action , leaving Grindlay as the most senior officer . He assumed command of the regiment and led it through the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House which immediately followed . Promoted to major , Grindlay led the 146th for the remainder of the campaign , including the battles of North Anna , Totopotomoy Creek , and Cold Harbor . During the subsequent Siege of Petersburg , Grindlay again led his regiment through a series of battles , beginning with the Second Battle of Petersburg in June 1864 and the Battle of Globe Tavern in August . At the Battle of Peebles ' Farm , the commander of 1st Brigade , 2nd Division , V Corps , of which the 146th New York was a part , was severely wounded . The injured officer , Elwell Stephen Otis , was carried from the field and Grindlay took over his position . Grindlay ' s tenure as brigade commander lasted only two days , from October 1 , to October 3 , before a replacement was found . He reverted to his previous position as leader of the 146th , and saw the regiment through several more battles from late 1864 into early 1865 . He led his men at the Battle of Boydton Plank Road in late October , and , after being promoted to lieutenant colonel , at Hatcher ' s Run in early February . In the final weeks of the war , Grindlay was promoted to colonel and brevetted before seeing action again in the Appomattox Campaign . On March 13 , 1865 , he was simultaneously awarded the brevet ranks of lieutenant colonel for his actions as Spotsylvania , colonel for his actions at North Anna , and brigadier general for his " gallant and meritorious services " . At the Battle of Five Forks on April 1 , 1865 , the 1st Brigade , including the 146th New York , led the 2nd Division ' s attack on the Confederate breastwork s . Just after breaching the defenses , brigade commander Frederick Winthrop was mortally wounded . For a second time , Grindlay took over command of 1st Brigade . Under his leadership , the brigade took the Confederate defenses and captured more than one - thousand prisoners and four battle flags . Two of the flags were captured by his own regiment , the 146th New York . Again , Grindlay was brigade commander for only two days until another replacement was found . For his actions during the engagement , Grindlay was awarded the Medal of Honor twenty - six years later , on August 14 , 1891 . His official citation states that he was " [ t ] he first to enter the enemy ' s works , where he captured 2 flags . " Grindlay and the rest of the 146th New York were mustered out of service on July 16 , 1865 , three months after the end of the war . Post - war life . After the war , Grindlay lived in Utica , New York . He married twice , first to a Miss Anderson from Boonville and second to Mary Peckham from Utica . He was active in the Loyal Legion veterans ' group and was president of the V Corps Veteran Association . In 1874 and 1875 he served as the U . S . consul to Kingston , Jamaica , and from 1891 onwards he worked at the New York State Comptroller ' s office in Albany . Grindlay died in a car accident in Troy , New York , at age 67 and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica .