The Service of Captain Clinton A. Cilley

Clinton A. Cilley was born in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, before moving west as a young man. By the outbreak of the American Civil War, he had settled in Minnesota. He officially entered the service at Wasioja, Minnesota, joining the 2nd Minnesota Infantry.

Cilley’s most notable actions occurred during the Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia. On September 20, 1863, amid a chaotic and bloody engagement, the Union lines began to waver. Seeing a nearby regiment beginning to retreat in disorder, Cilley took immediate and decisive action to prevent a total collapse of the position.

Disregarding his own safety, he seized the colors (the regimental flag) of the retreating unit. By raising the flag and charging forward, he provided a rallying point for the soldiers. He successfully led the men back into the “thick of the attack,” an act of conspicuous gallantry that eventually earned him the Medal of Honor.

Following his wartime service, Cilley moved to North Carolina, where he practiced law and served as a judge. He remained a prominent figure in his community until his death in 1900. He is remembered as a New Hampshire native who demonstrated incredible poise under fire in the Western Theater of the Civil War.