The Rescue at Petersburg

Carlton N. Camp was born on January 5, 1845, in Hanover, New Hampshire. At the age of 19, he entered military service from his hometown, enlisting on September 6, 1864. He served as a Private in Company B of the 18th New Hampshire Infantry, a regiment of the U.S. Army raised during the final stages of the American Civil War.

In the spring of 1865, Camp’s regiment was stationed at the front lines during the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia. On April 2, 1865, during the Third Battle of Petersburg, a fellow soldier was shot through both legs while on the picket line. The soldier was immobilized and caught in a position exposed to intense enemy fire.

Private Camp, alongside Private John Boutwell, moved out from their covered position to reach the wounded man. Under “heavy fire,” the two soldiers successfully carried their comrade off the field to safety. For this act of bravery, Camp was later awarded the Medal of Honor.

Following the war, Carlton Camp returned to New Hampshire. He died on September 1, 1926, at the age of 81, and is buried in Etna Cemetery in Hanover.