BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " ALEXANDER KELLY " WAS A UNION ARMY SOLDIER DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR AND A RECIPIENT OF AMERICA'S HIGHEST MILITARY DECORATION - THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HIS ACTIONS AT THE BATTLE OF CHAFFIN'S FARM : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK HEROES "

            BLACK   SOCIAL   HISTORY                                                                                                                

Alexander Kelly

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Alexander Kelly
First Sergeant Alexander Kelly
Born	April 7, 1840 Pennsylvania
Died	June 19, 1907 (aged 67)
Place of burial	Saint Peters Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1863 - 1865
Rank	First Sergeant
Unit	6th United States Colored Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War *Battle of Chaffin's Farm
Awards	Medal of Honor

Alexander Kelly (April 7, 1840 – June 19, 1907) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm.

Biography

Alexander Kelly was born in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania in 1837. He enlisted as a substitute in August 1863 and by September 29, 1864, was serving as a First Sergeant in Company F of the 6th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment. On that day, his unit participated in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in Virginia, and it was for his actions during the battle that he was awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on April 6, 1865. He was mustered out in September 1865.

Before the war, he worked as a coal miner in Western Pennsylvania. He went to Homestead, Pennsylvania after the war and for a time, served as the night watchman at the Pittsburgh Police stables.

Alexander Kelly married but never had children. He and his wife took in orphans from the street. He died at age 67 and was buried in Saint Peters Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Kelly's courage at New Market Heights is depicted in a painting, Three Medals of Honor by artist Don Troiani. The painting is scheduled to be unveiled June 24, 2013 at the Union League of Philadelphia. Also portrayed in the painting are two fellow Medal of Honor recipients from the battle, Nathan H. Edgerton and Thomas R. Hawkins.^[1]

Medal of Honor citation

First Sergeant Kelly's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Gallantly seized the colors, which had fallen near the enemy's lines of abatis, raised them and rallied the men at a time of confusion and in a place of the greatest danger.^[2]