It was not their fight, yet for over 50,000 Canadians, the American Civil War became their war. Among them was one Oxford County native who would go on to earn the Medal of Honor: Benjamin Franklin Youngs.
Born in the small community of Brooksdale, Ontario, Youngs was one of seven children of Lanty Shannon Youngs and Sophia Taft. Named after his great-grandfather—and, in turn, after the famed American patriot—Benjamin Franklin grew up on the family farm, honing a keen eye and steady hand that would later make him an exceptional marksman. He eventually worked as a carpenter, a skill that would serve him throughout his life.
In the mid-1860s, Youngs moved to Dearbornville, Michigan (modern-day Dearborn), and on September 1, 1863, the nineteen-year-old enlisted in the Union Army. His sharpshooting skills earned him a place in Company I of the First Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters.
The early months of his service were relatively quiet. Posted to guard duty at Camp Douglas in Chicago—one of the largest Union prisoner-of-war camps—Youngs waited for his first taste of battle. Promoted to Corporal, he soon faced the brutal campaigns of 1864-1865 in Virginia. He likely fought at the Wilderness, Proctor’s Creek, and Spotsylvania, where he received the first of possibly three wounds. Undeterred, he returned to his unit and engaged in battles at North Anna, Totopotomoy Creek, Bethesda Church, and Cold Harbor, along with numerous smaller skirmishes.
During the Petersburg Campaign, Corporal Youngs performed an act of extraordinary bravery. When his unit drove the 35th North Carolina Infantry back into their trenches, Youngs leaped forward, seized the enemy colours, and carried them back to General Ambrose E. Burnside, commander of the Ninth Corps. For his gallantry, Youngs was promoted to Sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor.
Just days later, Youngs was wounded again but returned in time to face the disastrous Battle of the Crater. Weeks later, he was captured at the Battle of Weldon Railroad, spending time in Richmond, Varina, and eventually at Camp Parole in Annapolis, Maryland.
Released from Confederate imprisonment in October 1864, Youngs received a twenty-day furlough. He returned either to Michigan or Brooksdale, Ontario, and never rejoined Union service. Consequently, on November 15, 1864, he was listed as a deserter.
Back in Ontario, Youngs settled in Zorra Township, married Margaret Reid, and raised six children. He returned to his trade as a house carpenter in Stratford and later moved to Saint Clair County and eventually to California. In 1925, the U.S. Congress passed an “Act for the Relief of Benjamin F. Youngs,” formally documenting his discharge as honorable and recognizing his rank as Sergeant.
Benjamin Franklin Youngs passed away on January 14, 1927, at the Old Soldier Nursing Home in Los Angeles, where he had lived since 1914. In May 2010, a grave dedication ceremony honored Sgt. Youngs at the IOOF Cemetery in California.
For more information, visit the biography of Benjamin Franklin Youngs on the Heroes of Zorra website.
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