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Southwest Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

Ovid Wellford Smith
⎯⎯⎯
Medal of Honor Recipients at Green Lawn

(9 November 1844-28 January 1868)

 
 
Ovid Wellford Smith side of marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 26, 2024
1. Ovid Wellford Smith side of marker
Inscription.
Ovid Wellford Smith
(9 November 1844-28 January 1868)
– Ovid Wellford Smith, aged 16, enlisted in the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry as James Smith. He volunteered for the 1862 “Andrews Raid” mission to destroy Confederate supply lines. Enroute Smith became ill and was detained near Huntsville, Alabama, prior to the April 12 capture of “The General” locomotive at Big Shanty, Georgia. He escaped and made his way back to rejoin his Army unit. On July 6, 1864, Smith and 5 other raiders were awarded the Medal of Honor. He mustered out October 1864 at the rank of corporal, after participating in the Battles of Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Missionary Ridge.

Medal of Honor Recipients at Green Lawn
• PVT Ovid Wellford Smith, Section C, Civil War, Participated in Andrew's Raid, April 1862
• 1LT Frederick Phisterer, Section B, Civil War, Rallied a battalion preventing its destruction at Stones River, December 1862
• CPL Clinton Greaves, Section 27, Indian Campaigns, Led unit to safety after surprise attack by superior force, January 1877
• SGT Stanislaus Roy, Section 51, Indian Campaigns, “Volunteer Watering Party” at Little
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Big Horn, June 1876
• CPT Edward V. Rickenbacker, Section 54, World War I, Shot down enemy aircraft “above and beyond the call of duty”, September 1918
 
Erected 2023 by Green Lawn Cemetery • Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 12-25.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, US CivilWar, World IWars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 6, 1864.
 
Location. 39° 56.545′ N, 83° 1.987′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County. It is in Southwest Columbus. It can be reached from 1000 Greenlawn Ave 1.1 miles west of Harmon Avenue. Located deep within the Green Lawn Cemetery on north side. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Columbus OH 43223, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Scioto Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee
Medal of Honor Recipients at Green Lawn side of marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 26, 2024
2. Medal of Honor Recipients at Green Lawn side of marker
(Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Consecration Grove (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lucas Sullivant (about 300 feet away); Departed Denizens (about 600 feet away); George A. Blount (about 600 feet away); Grandfather Tree (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pigeon Oaks (approx. 0.2 miles away); Our Unknown Dead (approx. Ό mile away); The Pond (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.
 
Another marker is no longer nearby. Ovid Wellford Smith (was a few steps from this marker but has been confirmed missing).
 
Ovid Wellford Smith grave marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 26, 2024
3. Ovid Wellford Smith grave marker
Ovid Wellford Smith / Medal of Honor Recipients at Green Lawn Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Doda, April 11, 2026
4. Ovid Wellford Smith / Medal of Honor Recipients at Green Lawn Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on June 10, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.   3. submitted on June 11, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.   4. submitted on April 16, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.
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Jul. 15, 2026