Medal of Honor Recipient John Whitmore
Private John Whitmore (1844-1918) of the Illinois 119th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate flag at Ft. Blakely, Alabama on April 9, 1865 in the last days of the Civil War. In 1881 he moved to Des Moines County and was a farmer and carpenter until his death in 1918. He is buried at the Shinar Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Pleasant Grove. His stone is on the west side of the church - look for the white granite stone. Pleasant Grove is a small town NW of Burlington. On Highway 61 north of Burlington, and about 2 miles south of Mediapolis, take Pleasant Grove Road west. Photo taken 11/26/08.