Medal of Honor

William Wallace Cranston, on May 2, 1863 at Chancellorsville, Virginia, from Company A, 66th Ohio Infantry.. Cranston, along with Private Elisha Seaman and Sergeants Henry Heller and Thomas Thompson  brought in a wounded Confederate officer from within the enemy’s line, facing constant fire.

Excerpt from the Hall of Valor: 

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private William Wallace Cranston, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 2 May 1863, while serving with Company A, 66th Ohio Infantry, in action at Chancellorsville, Virginia. Private Cranston was one of a party of four who voluntarily brought in a wounded Confederate officer from within the enemy's line in the face of a constant fire.

As told by Private Cranston:

"At about nine o'clock in the morning, the Twenty third North Carolina Infantry came up the plank road, and marched by platoons to within about seventy-five yards of our works. A few charges of grape and canister from a Pennsylvania battery stationed with our division on the plank road, served to stop their progress. In their retreat they left a Confederate soldier on the road. The poor fellow's piteous cries for help attracted the attention of the commanding general, who was passing along the lines. He asked for volunteers to go out and bring him in. 'The roads are full of rebels,' said he, 'but if you go boldly down unarmed, they will know that you are after a wounded man and will surely not be so inhuman as to fire on you who are bringing relief to one of their own men.' With three of my companions, I volunteered for the service. We laid off our accouterments, and, with two army blankets for stretchers, marched to where the man lay, in plain view of the enemy. We succeeded in bringing him back alive, and took him to the Chancellor House, which was then being used as a field hospital. After we had disposed of our wounded rebel, we rejoined our regiment, and very soon the battle opened in earnest all along the line. It continued for several hours with the greatest fury until we were driven in disorder from the field. The Chancellor House took fire from the rebel shells during the engagement, and burned to the ground, and I suppose this poor rebel soldier, with many of our own wounded must have perished in the flames."

Source: Deeds of Valor, p. 144 
Service Record: Enlisted in Company A, Ohio 66th Infantry Regiment on 10 Oct 1861.
Promoted to Full Sergeant.
Promoted to Full Sergeant Major on 12 May 1863.
Birth Date: 20 Nov 1838 
Death Date: 7 Dec 1907 
Death Place: Parson, KS 
Sources: Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio
Deeds of Valor. How our Soldier-heroes won the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-1994