Milton L. Haney

Milton Lorenzo Haney
Nickname(s)	"The Fighting Chaplain"
Born	(1825-01-23)January 23, 1825 Savannah, Ohio
Died	January 20, 1922(1922-01-20) (aged 96) California
Place of burial	Mountain View Cemetery, Altadena, California
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service / branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861 - 1864
Rank	Chaplain
Unit	55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Battles / wars	American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Milton Lorenzo Haney (January 23, 1825 – January 20, 1922) was a regimental chaplain in the United States Army.

Biography

Haney was born in Savannah, Ohio in 1825. He credited the home life of his mother as being the greatest human factor leading to his salvation. In 1846, he received appointment as the junior preacher of the Dixon, Illinois, Circuit. At first his work centered in southern Illinois, but he quickly expanded, preaching in churches and camp meetings throughout the Midwestern states.

He entered U.S. Army at Bushnell, Illinois as a captain in charge of Company F, 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and was appointed chaplain of the regiment in March 1862.

Four men earned Medals of Honor in action against Confederate forces at Atlanta, Georgia on July 21–22, 1864. Among these four heroes was Milton Haney, sometimes called "The Fighting Chaplain" by the men of the 55th Illinois Infantry. When the tide of battle was critical on July 22, Chaplain Haney voluntarily joined the ranks of his regiment, as noted in his citation. He mustered out in December of that year.

In the late 1890s, Haney's chronic health problems worsened, and he began applying for an increase in his military pension. One document in his pension file is a petition drawn up and signed by 21 members of the 55th Regiment, Co. F, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, who had served with him and supported his claim for "Invalid Pension." Haney was receiving $30 per month in 1915. After further correspondence with the "Pension Commissioner" he was awarded an increase. His pension payments of $60 per month ceased when he died three days short of his 97th birthday.

Haney died at the age of 96 in California on January 20, 1922, after suffering a severe attack of pneumonia. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Altadena, California.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Chaplain, 55th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Atlanta, Ga., July 22, 1864. Entered service at: Bushnell, Ill. Birth: Ohio. Date of issue: November 3, 1896.

Citation:

Voluntarily carried a musket in the ranks of his regiment and rendered heroic service in retaking the Federal works which had been captured by the enemy.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L
• Battle of Atlanta
• 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment

References

• Dyer, Frederick H (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q.
• Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2001). Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0804736413. OCLC 754031945.
• War Department, U.S. (1880). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 857196196.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

External links

• "Milton L. Haney". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
• "Milton L. Haney, Medal of Honor recipient". American Civil War (A-M). U.S. Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
• "Medal of Honor citation for Milton L. Haney". HomeofHeroes.com. C. Douglas Sterner. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
• "Gravesite for Milton L. Haney". HomeofHeroes.com. C. Douglas Sterner. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
• Pentecostal Possibilities: Story of My Life, Memoir of Milton Lorenzo Haney, first published 1906