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Charles E. Morse, Medal of Honor recipient of the Anderson Zouaves
Color Sergeant, Charles E. Morse of Company “I”, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery at the battle of the Wilderness, VA, May 5, 1864. His citation reads: Voluntarily rushed back into the enemy's lines, took the colors from the color sergeant, who was mortally wounded, and, although himself wounded, carried them through the fight. The story of how Morse won his Medal of Honor appears on page 317 of Deeds of Valor a transcript of which follows.
“Our colors are down”
At the battle of the Wilderness Company I of the Sixty-second New York Infantry, known as the Anderson Zouaves, held a position on the left center of the regiment next to the color-guard. In the absence of a commissioned officer, Sergeant Charles E. Morse was in command of the company, which consisted of but fifteen men. The regiment was ordered to advance and charge the enemy, and carried out the order so successfully that the Confederates were driven back to their first line of defense. They were given no chance to rally and had to retreat to their second line. Then they stopped, made a stand, and by desperate fighting prevented the regiment's further advance.
All efforts to dislodge the rebels were futile; they were posted too strongly on the ridge. At the same time their fire became so destructive that the regiment was ordered to fall back to the rifle pits. Though this movement was carried out in perfect order, the Confederates concluded that the men were in full retreat and at once started in hot pursuit. They failed to bring the lines of the New York regiment into disorder, however, and the men continued to fall back, all the time loading, facing about and firing. Presently the color-sergeant was struck by a ball. He staggered, reeled and dropped, covering the colors with his body. Then someone shouted: "The colors are down!"
Consternation followed the outcry. Two men at once broke out of the ranks and started toward the spot where the dying color- sergeant lay. The rebels, too, were rapidly approaching the coveted spot. Who would be the first to reach it, the enemy or the daring New Yorkers? The latter were Corporal Deitzel and Sergeant Morse. Morse was first at the side of his almost lifeless comrade and in an instant secured the precious colors. He was soon joined by Deitzel and both then retreated to their lines, holding the enemy at a safe distance by keeping up a well- directed fire. In the retreat Sergeant Morse was shot in the knee, but notwithstanding the painful wound he pluckily remained with his company all during the subsequent fighting, carrying aloft the banner he had so heroically saved.
Source: Deeds of Valor, p. 317
