serviceyears branch death_date death_place birth_place allegiance unit awards placeofburial_label battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
1862 - 1865 united states army 1890 1845 california allegany county , new york united states 2nd cavalry regiment medal of honor place of burial american civil war battle of tom 's brook 1845 mokelumne hill protestant cemetery , mokelumne hill , california private us-moh-1862 . png edward r. hanford
 edward r. hanford
edward r. hanford

edward r. hanford -lrb- 1845 -- 1890 -rrb- was a private in the 2nd u.s. cavalry , company h , during the american civil war .
born in allegany county , new york , in 1845 , hanford captured the battle flag of the 32nd battalion virginia cavalry of the confederate states of america at the battle of tom 's brook , woodstock , virginia , on 9 october 1864 .
the union charge , led by generals wesley merritt and george armstrong custer , successfully forced the confederates to retreat southward of woodstock .
hanford received the medal of honor on 14 october 1864 for capturing the confederate battle flag during the charge and for demonstrating `` extraordinary heroism '' .
hanford died in california in 1890 and was buried in the mokelumne hill protestant cemetery of mokelumne hill , calaveras county .
