Charles E . Morse Charles E . Morse ( May 5 , 1841 – August 31 , 1920 ) was an American Civil War soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during The Battle of the Wilderness in that war . Biography . Born in Marseilles , France , Morse was a sergeant in Company " I " of the 62nd New York State Volunteers ( Anderson Zouaves ) and was awarded his Medal of Honor on January 14 , 1890 , for gallantry at the Battle of the Wilderness , Virginia , on May 5 , 1864 . Morse enlisted as a private in the Union Army on June 24 , 1861 at New York City , and was mustered into Company " I " of the Anderson Zouaves Infantry Regiment ( later the 62nd N . Y . S . V . ) on June 30 , 1861 . He was promoted to corporal around the time that the regiment left New York for Washington on August 21 , 1861 and was promoted sergeant on September 20 . Morse died at the age of 79 on August 31 , 1920 in Bath , New York and he is buried at Bath National Cemetery . His grave can be found in section J , Row 24 , Grave 4 . The Battle of the Wilderness . At the battle of Fair Oaks , May 31 , 1862 , Morse was wounded in the hand . On May 4 , 1863 he was taken prisoner at the battle of Salem Church . He was exchanged and at the time of the Battle of the Wilderness , May 5 , 1864 , was in command of his company , which numbered only 15 , there being no commissioned officers left . On the day of the Battle of the Wilderness , Sgt . Morse , together with his company , held a position on the left center of the regiment next to the color guard . The action took place on the Orange Plank Road , west of its intersection with Brock Road , the 62nd regiment had been ordered to advance and charge the enemy . The enemy was forced back to its first line of defense and being given no time to rally was forced back to its second line . Here it made a stand and , by desperate fighting , prevented the 62nd New York ' s further advance . The Confederates , now occupying a strong position , laid down a destructive fire on the 62nd . The regiment being pressed very hard was ordered to fall back on rifle pits . Despite falling back in perfect order the movement was interpreted by the enemy as a full retreat and started in pursuit . Despite the pursuit the regiment maintained its order continually loading and facing about to fire while it fell back . The line had marched about 50 feet when it was about faced to fire a volley into the advancing enemy . It was at this time that it was noticed that John H . L . Gilmore , one of the regiment ' s color - sergeants had fallen mortally wounded with the colours . Gilmore had been struck by a ball and had fallen his body covering the flag . It is reported that someone in the regiment shouted " The colors are down ! " and Morse and Corporal Michael Ditzel of company " F " ran out from the line towards the wounded Gilmore and the advancing enemy . Morse was the first to arrive at the almost lifeless color - sergeant ' s side . Taking up the flag , Morse turned to make for his own line , however , an enemy officer , who had been making for the same position shot Morse in the knee with his revolver . Despite this both Morse and Ditzel made it back to their own lines where Morse remained with the regiment still bearing the flag until it was relieved . Coincidentally May 5 , the date the battle of the Wilderness took place , happened to be Morse ' s birthday . Private James R . Evans of Company " H " of the same regiment also received the Medal of Honor for his actions on the same day to rescue the regimental flag . Battle Flags of the Anderson Zouaves . A Federal battle flag , a gift of Major Robert Anderson and made by Tiffany & Co . , was presented to the regiment by Major Samuel Wylie Crawford on August 14 , 1861 , at Rikers Island , New York . A Regimental battle flag , a gift of the Council of New York and made by the firm of George Brandon & John Styles was presented to the regiment by Brig . Gen . John J . Peck on May 8 , 1862 on the Williamsburg battlefield . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and Organization : Citation : Voluntarily rushed back into the enemy ' s lines , took the colors from the color sergeant , who was mortally wounded , and , although himself wounded , carried them through the fight .