Descendants of Christiansburg native Marion A. Ross, a Sargeant Major in the Union Army during the Civil War gather at a dedication ceremony in Christiansburg on Monday to unveil a monument honoring the Civil War hero. Ross was one of the members of Andrews Raider, a group who infiltrated to Georgia, stole a Confederate train, driving it north, tearing up rail lines and telegraph lines along the way. Ultimately, Ross and the Raiders were caught, then executed as spies by the South. Ross was among the first recipients of the newly sanctioned Medal of Honor. He was the first American soldier to receive the nation’s highest award — for bravery, above and beyond the call of duty — posthumously.
Mike Ullery | Miami Valley Today
Descendants of Christiansburg native Marion A. Ross, a Sargeant Major in the Union Army during the Civil War gather at a dedication ceremony in Christiansburg on Monday to unveil a monument honoring the Civil War hero. Ross was one of the members of Andrews Raider, a group who infiltrated to Georgia, stole a Confederate train, driving it north, tearing up rail lines and telegraph lines along the way. Ultimately, Ross and the Raiders were caught, then executed as spies by the South. Ross was among the first recipients of the newly sanctioned Medal of Honor. He was the first American soldier to receive the nation’s highest award — for bravery, above and beyond the call of duty — posthumously.
