February 16, 1858 Isaiah Mays, Medal of Honor recipient, was born enslaved in Carters Bridge, Virginia.
By May 11, 1889, Mays was serving as a corporal in Company B of the 24th Infantry Regiment. On that day, he was involved in an engagement with robbers and his actions earned him the medal which was awarded February 19, 1890.
His citation reads, “Gallantry in the fight between Paymaster Wham’s escort and robbers. Mays walked and crawled 2 miles to a ranch for help.” Mays left the army in 1893, and in 1922 applied for a federal pension, but was denied. Mays died penniless on May 2, 1925 and his grave was marked with only a small stone etched with a number.
In 2001, the marker was replaced with an official United States Department of Veterans Affairs headstone. In March, 2009, his remains were disinterred, cremated and placed in an urn. On May 29, 2009, the urn was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
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