This cabinet card photograph shows Charles Day wearing not only his G.A.R. medal, but his Congressional Medal of Honor. He is identified both by a period pen inscription on the back of the card and by a cropped version of the same image in the 1900/1901 Deeds of Valor, Vol. 1, page 485.  The inscription on the reverse reads, “Charles Day / 210^th Reg. Co. K. Pa Vol Infantry / age 54 years May 28^th 1898,” which indicates he may have had it taken on his birthday: he was born May 28, 1844, in West Laurens, Otsego County, NY. The photo has a Corning, NY, photographer’s imprint. Day worked at the time for the Central Railroad Company in Corning. He had worked in the mercantile business before that and looks like an upright businessman: middle-aged, balding, with a bushy mustache wearing spectacles and a formal three-piece suit with starched collar and tie. He wears his coat open, showing his vest with watchchain, G.A.R. medal, and his Medal of Honor.

The 1860 census picks him up at age 16 working as a farm laborer on his father’s farm in Richmond Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, where he enlisted and mustered into Co. K of the 210^th PV as a private on 9/14/64. The regiment had a number of officers and men with prior service, but we do not find records of him serving before this. The regiment was mustered for one year’s service, joined the Army of the Potomac in front of Petersburg and was assigned to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, 5th corps. It fought at Hatcher's Run in October, took part in the movement against the Weldon Railroad in December, and in February participated in the second battle at Hatcher’s Run and Dabney’s Mill.

Those battles were fought February 5-7 as part of Union efforts to disrupt Confederate supply lines into Petersburg. Federal cavalry pushed south and then west, with the Fifth Corps and elements of the Second moving to provide support and maintain the integrity of the line. Confederate cavalry and two divisions of infantry moved to oppose them. The 210^th reached the battlefield about noon on Feb. 6 and was posted on the Union left. Deeds of Valor records Day’s actions as follows: the regiment “pressed forward, driving the enemy quite a distance through the woods until they reached their reserve line, stationed on a low ridge. Here the rebels fought with renewed energy and, with the additional hail of lead from their reserve poured into the Union troops, the Federal line began to waver, then gradually fall back. One of the regiments of the brigade was thrown into utter confusion and its color-bearer killed. Private Charles Day, of Company K, Two hundred and tenth Regiment, ran to the fallen colors and, picking them up, carried them throughout the remainder of the battle.” Day’s bravery was recognized with the award of the Congressional Medal of Honor in July 1897. Local newspapers mentioned he received the medal in a presentation ceremony at a regimental reunion.

Between his actions at Dabney’s Mill and the end of the war the regiment was heavily engaged from March 29 to April 1, at the Quaker Road, Gravelly Run, Boydton Road and Five Forks, was in the pursuit of Lee from Petersburg to Appomattox. It returned to Washington, participated in the grand review, and mustered out at Alexandria on May 30, 1865. Fox, Regimental Losses, indicates they lost 40 officers and men killed or mortally wounded during their service. The Union Army differs slightly, listing 35 killed, 115 wounded and 150 missing.

Day was ill for about four months before his death and was living back in Tioga County, Pa., just below Corning, when he died on July 29, 1901, and was interred at Mansfield. We have not pulled Day’s service and pension records, but those files often include affidavits and character references for the award from eye-witnesses.  [sr] [ph:m]

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