James Madison Cutts, Jr.

Cutts served for about 6 weeks in mid-1861 as Private in the 1st Rhode Island Volunteers, and then accepted an appointment as Captain in the new 11th United States Infantry on 14 May 1861.

He was Aide de Camp on General Burnside's staff in Maryland.

He was courtmartialled in June 1863, and convicted of un-gentlemanly behavior. The President upheld his conviction, but reduced his punishment to a reprimand, and Cutts retained his commission. In 1891 he was awarded the Medal of Honor for "gallantry in action" during 1864 at the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and Petersburg. In March 1865 he was awarded brevets - honorary rank - to Major and Lieutenant Colonel for his combat service.

He continued in Regular Army service until 1868, when he was again in trouble for misbehavior and dismissed from the Service. He was later a successful lawyer in Washington, DC.

Service dates and other information from Heitman1. His position of the General's staff at Antietam from Burnside's after-action Report.

See a post about him over on the blog behindAotW.

1837; Washington, DC

02/24/1903; Washington, DC; burial in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA