Daniel Robert McFall (1836 - 1919)

Born 2 Aug 1836 in Niagara County, New York, United States

Husband of Nancy J (White) McFall — married 12 Mar 1890 in York Township, Washtenaw, Michigan, USA

Died 5 Nov 1919 at age 83 in Milan, Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States

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Biography

Daniel McFall was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Sergeant Daniel McFall served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Aug 6, 1862
Mustered out: Jun 3, 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): 17th Michigan Infantry

Daniel was born in 1836 to Cornelius McFall and Catherine Dennison. His parents were living in Niagra County, New York but soon moved to Huron Township, Michigan when he was six months old. He was the last of his siblings to be born in New York; there were three more that were born in Michigan.

Early Life

Daniel learned to farm like his father and was still in his household in 1850 in Huron Township.^[1] and by 1850, the McFalls moved south to Milan, Michigan.^[2]

Military Years

The prelude to the Civil War was brewing during the 1860 presidential elections and at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, the first shot was fired on Fort Sumter. There was a call to arms and on 6 Aug 1862, Daniel enlisted in the Union Army as a Private in Ypsilanti, Michigan. After some initial processing and training, he enlisted in the 17th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment on 19 Aug 1862. He signed up for a three-year stint and was eventually mustered out on 3 Jun 1865.^[3]

The 17th Regiment participated in several battles that include Battle of South Mountain, Battle of Antietam, Battle of Fredericksburg, Siege of Vicksburg, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Cold Harbor, Siege of Petersburg, and the Appomattox Campaign. However, it was the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House that fate met Sergeant Daniel McFall. It was his actions at the Bloody Angle on 12 May 1864 that won him the Medal of Honor. "May 12 was the most intensive day of fighting during the battle, with Union casualties of about 9,000, Confederate 8,000; the Confederate loss includes about 3,000 prisoners captured in the Mule Shoe."^[4]

During the fierce fighting that day, Sergeant McFall "captured Col. Barker, commanding the Confederate brigade that charged the Union batteries; on the same day rescued Lt. George W. Harmon of his regiment from the enemy."^[5]

Official Citation

CITATION: For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Daniel Robert McFall, United States Army for extraordinary heroism on 12 May 1864, while serving with Company E, 17th Michigan infantry, in action at Spotsylvania, Virginia. Sergeant McFall captured Colonel Barker, commanding the Confederate brigade that charged the Union batteries; on the same day he rescued Lieutenant George W Harmon of his regiment from the enemy.

After the War

Daniel returned to Michigan and to farming. By 1870, he had moved out of his father's house and bought a farm of his own. His younger sister Maria and an 11 year-old boy who was listed as a servant were living with him.^[6] By 1880, His sister and the servant boy had moved out and he had hired a young couple as a farmhand and a housekeeper.^[7]

There currently is no record of the 1890 Census, but on 12 Mar 1890, he married Nancy J. White in York Township, Michigan.^[8] The next two Censuses record them living on their farm in Milan, Michigan and apparently never had any children.^[9][10]

He passed away in his home after a full life in 1919 and is buried in Rice Cemetary, Cone, Michigan.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ United States Census, 1850, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF8T-7QR : 12 April 2016), Daniel R Mcfall in household of Cornelius Mcfall, Huron, Wayne, Michigan, United States; citing family 214, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)
2. ↑ United States Census, 1860, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MWDX-DZ7 : 14 December 2017), Daniel Mc Fall in entry for Cornelius Mc Fall, 1860.
3. ↑ Historical Data Systems, comp. U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
4. ↑ Rhea, Spotsylvania Court House, pp. 293, 311–12; Kennedy, p. 285; Salmon, pp. 277–78; Cullen, p. 32; Eicher, p. 678; Welcher, p. 970; Smithsonian Spotsylvania Stump.
5. ↑ U.S. Army Center of Military History, database (https://history.army.mil/moh/civilwar_mr.html#McFALL : accessed 8 March 2018) Daniel McFall, Civil War (M-R).
6. ↑ United States Census, 1870, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHC4-C1J : 12 April 2016), Daniel Mc Fall, Michigan, United States; citing p. 7, family 53, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,190.
7. ↑ United States Census, 1880, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MW3M-C76 : 14 August 2017), Daniel Mcfall, Milan, Monroe, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 182, sheet 474B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0596; FHL microfilm 1,254,596.
8. ↑ Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N36R-DFS : 4 December 2014), Daniel Mcfall and Nancy J. White White, 12 Mar 1890; citing York, Washtenaw, Michigan, v 3 p 337 rn 714, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,489.
9. ↑ United States Census, 1900, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MS9X-NBP : accessed 8 March 2018), Daniel Mcfall, Milan township Milan village, Monroe, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 75, sheet 13A, family 305, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,733.
10. ↑ United States Census, 1910, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLR8-FJ7 : accessed 8 March 2018), Daniel Mcfall, Milan, Monroe, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 100, sheet 2B, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 664; FHL microfilm 1,374,677.
11. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 March 2018), memorial page for Daniel Robert McFall (2 Aug 1836–5 Nov 1919), Find A Grave: Memorial #7941893, citing Rice Cemetery, Cone, Monroe County, Michigan, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .