Born halfway across the world in Bombay, India, Charles Jenks Simons eventually made his way to Exeter, New Hampshire, where he would answer the call to serve his adopted country. On June 12, 1862, he enlisted as a Sergeant and was assigned to Company A of the 9th New Hampshire Infantry. His regiment was part of the arduous campaigns of the Civil War, but his most defining moment occurred during the brutal Siege of Petersburg.

On July 30, 1864, the Union Army detonated a massive mine under the Confederate lines, creating a giant chasm known as “The Crater.” In the chaotic aftermath, Sergeant Simons was among the very first Union soldiers to leap into the smoking pit. Amidst the smoke and carnage, he demonstrated extraordinary bravery by capturing several enemy prisoners.

During the intense hand-to-hand fighting that followed, Simons’ luck seemed to run out when he was captured by Confederate forces. However, he refused to remain a prisoner. Taking advantage of the surrounding confusion, he managed a daring escape and returned to Union lines. For these actions, he was later awarded the Medal of Honor, making him one of the first persons of Asian descent to receive the nation’s highest military decoration.

Following his heroics at Petersburg, Simons was promoted for his leadership and gallantry. He rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant in November 1864 and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in February 1865. He served through the end of the conflict and was honorably mustered out with his regiment on June 10, 1865. After the war, he relocated to Chicago, where he lived until his passing in 1914.