Brockport History - Town of Sweden Civil War hero Milo Starks

From the Village of Brockport board meeting minutes on 07/15/13

Brockport Historical Moment: Trustee/Deputy Mayor Andrews shared the following:

                          Major Milo Starks from the Town of Sweden, Monroe County, NY

The Democrat & Chronicle was certainly right to give Col. Patrick O'Rorke the recognition he deserves. He was a gallant, resourceful hero loved and worshipped by his men. However, he was not the only Rochester-area hero on Little Round Top on July 2, 1864. Capt. Milo L. Starks, a farm boy from the Town of Sweden, recruited and led Company A of O'Rorke's 140th NY regiment. As I recount on page 225 of my Civil War Brockport book that was published last month by The History Press: "O'Rorke was shot dead at the outset of the fight and, Starks became the de facto regimental commander, as he led Company A and the 140th into the fray. The Union troops drove back the Confederates and helped save little Round Top for the Federals. Starks was wounded four times, but refused to leave his men until the battle was won. An officer in the 44th NYVI, who was involved in the battle...listed seven men whom he thought saved Little Round Top that day. They included three generals, two colonels, an artillery lieutenant and--Milo Starks."

By May 1864, Starks had been promoted to major and Col. George Ryan had succeeded O'Rorke.
During the Battle of Laurel Hill on May 10, the 140th attacked entrenched Confederate troops twice and were driven back. Ryan rallied his troops for a third try. He led them to within three rods of the enemy when he was shot dead. As Brian Bennett says in his superb history of the 140th, "Major Starks managed to dismount and was trying to lead the regiment on foot when a bullet hit him in the forehead and crashed through his brain, killing him instantly."

I know of no move to nominate Starks for a Congressional Medal of Honor, but the Town of Sweden Bicentennial Celebration Committee intends to honor him with an historical marker at the site of his home on South Lake Road next May 10.

For more information click here.

Editor's note:
 Brockport history is featured every Tuesday on The Brockporter, Brockport's only online news magazine. If you have a historical topic or article forward it to davidgmarkham@gmail.com