This headstone marks the grave of the first British citizen to receive the United States Army’s Congressional Medal of Honor.
He is one of just 3,505 recipients of this: the U.S.A.’s highest award for bravery.
He was given this medal for outstanding gallantry shown during an action near Luray, Virginia, on 24th September, 1864. The citation indicates that he captured a Confederate Flag.
This engagement took place towards the end of General Sheridan’s operations in the Shenandoah Valley which marked the beginning of the end for the Confederate Army.
Philip James Baybutt was born on 22nd November, 1843 at 16, Leinster Street, Hulme, Manchester.
His parents were Philip Baybutt, a fustian salesman, and his wife Mary (née Holland). (1) Philip was christened at St. George’s Church, Hulme on New Years Eve, 1843. His grandfather had the unusual first name, “Fairhurst” and hailed from the Ormskirk area of Lancashire.
The 1861 census record shows Philip working as a warehouse boy for a fustian manufacturer and living at 19, Bold Street, Stretford with his parents and four younger siblings:- two sisters 15 years old Elizabeth Margaret and Mary Ann who was 11 and two brothers William, 13, and the youngest child, 8 years old Charles Fairhurst.
Due to the blockade of the cotton exporting ports of the Confederacy by the Union Navy during the American Civil War the early 1860’s were a dreadful time for the workers in the Lancashire cotton mills.
The young Philip was one of many such workers who were attracted by the lure of the developing textile industry in Fall River, Massachusetts especially as his uncle had already settled in the town. Not long after arriving in the United States Philip enlisted into A. Company of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry in which he served with distinction being wounded twice and receiving the Medal of Honor.
Having returned to England by 1871 he was working as a cashier and residing with his mother at Mona Terrace, Moss Side. The following year he married Harriet Jones at St. Matthew’s, Anglican Church, Leicester on 19th September, 1872.
The couple had 10 children at least one of whom, Ernest Sidney, died in infancy. The family also suffered from the tragic death of another son, Frederick Arthur, who drowned on Wednesday 12th July, 1899. After taking an afternoon’s absence from his employer, (2) he had journeyed to Pickmere Lake, Nr. Northwich, Cheshire - a favourite destination for his country walks and was not seen alive again.
Philip continued to work as a cashier / bookkeeper for a box maker but the wounds he had received during his service in the Union army still bothered him and on 27th October, 1891 he was awarded an invalidity pension by the United States Government.
At this time he was residing at 170, Clifton Street, Stretford. Philip James Baybutt died in Withington Workhouse on 17th April, 1907.
Tony Goulding © 2019
Location Southern Cemetery
Pictures; The map of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign is from Wikipedia which states it is free to use as long as this full attribution is given - " Map by Hal Jespersen, Hal Jespersen's Cartography Services - American Civil War Maps '
Notes:-
1) Philip Baybutt Snr. married Mary Holland on 21st February, 1841 at St. Mary’s Church, Manchester.
2) Frederick worked as a shipping clerk in the offices of B. Nathan & Co., Cooper Street, Manchester
He was given this medal for outstanding gallantry shown during an action near Luray, Virginia, on 24th September, 1864. The citation indicates that he captured a Confederate Flag.
This engagement took place towards the end of General Sheridan’s operations in the Shenandoah Valley which marked the beginning of the end for the Confederate Army.
Philip James Baybutt was born on 22nd November, 1843 at 16, Leinster Street, Hulme, Manchester.
The 1861 census record shows Philip working as a warehouse boy for a fustian manufacturer and living at 19, Bold Street, Stretford with his parents and four younger siblings:- two sisters 15 years old Elizabeth Margaret and Mary Ann who was 11 and two brothers William, 13, and the youngest child, 8 years old Charles Fairhurst.
Due to the blockade of the cotton exporting ports of the Confederacy by the Union Navy during the American Civil War the early 1860’s were a dreadful time for the workers in the Lancashire cotton mills.
The young Philip was one of many such workers who were attracted by the lure of the developing textile industry in Fall River, Massachusetts especially as his uncle had already settled in the town. Not long after arriving in the United States Philip enlisted into A. Company of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry in which he served with distinction being wounded twice and receiving the Medal of Honor.
The couple had 10 children at least one of whom, Ernest Sidney, died in infancy. The family also suffered from the tragic death of another son, Frederick Arthur, who drowned on Wednesday 12th July, 1899. After taking an afternoon’s absence from his employer, (2) he had journeyed to Pickmere Lake, Nr. Northwich, Cheshire - a favourite destination for his country walks and was not seen alive again.
Philip continued to work as a cashier / bookkeeper for a box maker but the wounds he had received during his service in the Union army still bothered him and on 27th October, 1891 he was awarded an invalidity pension by the United States Government.
At this time he was residing at 170, Clifton Street, Stretford. Philip James Baybutt died in Withington Workhouse on 17th April, 1907.
Tony Goulding © 2019
Location Southern Cemetery
Pictures; The map of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign is from Wikipedia which states it is free to use as long as this full attribution is given - " Map by Hal Jespersen, Hal Jespersen's Cartography Services - American Civil War Maps '
Notes:-
1) Philip Baybutt Snr. married Mary Holland on 21st February, 1841 at St. Mary’s Church, Manchester.
2) Frederick worked as a shipping clerk in the offices of B. Nathan & Co., Cooper Street, Manchester
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