Robinson Barr Murphy – Musician, United States Army

Born in Illinois in 1849, he earned the Medal of Honor, at the age of 15, during the Civil War while serving as a musician with Company A, 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry at Atlanta, Georgia, on July 28, 1864. The Medal was actually issued on July 22, 1890.

He died on October 2, 1934 and was buried in Section 6 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Lina Virginia Murphy


MURPHY, ROBINSON B.

Rank and organization: Musician, Company A, 127th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Atlanta, Georgia, 28 July 1864. Entered service at: Oswego, Kendall County, Illinois. Birth: Oswego, Kendall County, Illinois. Date of issue: 22 July 1890.

Citation:

Being orderly to the brigade commander, he voluntarily led two regiments as reinforcements into line of battle, where he had his horse shot under him.


Robinson Barr Murphy, born 11 May 1849.  He married Lina Virginia Johnson on 28 October 1875. She was the daughter of James Doran Johnson and Elizabeth Johnson.

He enlisted in the War of the rebellion, 6 August 1862, at the above of thirteen years, and served with Company A, 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, being orderly to the Colonel of the Regiment.  In January 1864, he was appointed orderly to General J. A. J. Lightburn, and was involved in serveral battles. He received a Medal of Honor for gallant conduct on July 28, 1864, when he led two regiments into battle near Atlanta and had his horse shot from under him. He was then only fifteen years of age, and was in continuous service until his company was mustered out June 5, 1865.

He resided at Front Royal, Virginia, and was a commercial traveler, twenty-five years with the present company, a member of the Methodist church. To Robinson Barr Murphy and Lina Virginia Johnson Murphy were born three children: Robinson Barr Murphy, 23 December 1876-23 May 1877; Martha Charlotte Murphy, 28 January 1878; she was married on 11 May 1905 to Charles Augustus Mactee, an attorney, at Clifton Forge, Virginia; Annie Margenia Murphy, born 8 November 1881.


COLONEL ROBINSON BARR MURPHY

WASHINGTON, October 4, 1934 – Colonel Robinson Barr Murphy, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War when he was only 15 years of age, was buried today in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.  Colonel Murphy, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, and Oswego, Illinois, died Tuesday at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland.  He was 85 years old.  He was the youngest man ever to be awarded the Congressional Medal.


MURPHY, ROBINSON BARR

  • MUSICIAN A 127TH ILL INF USA
  • DATE OF DEATH: 10/02/1934
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 6  SITE 9747
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

MURPHY, LINA V W/O ROBINSON BARR

  • DATE OF DEATH: 05/30/1934
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 6  SITE 9747
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF RB MURPHY, MUSC CO A 127TH ILL INF

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