The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal John C. Matthews, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 2 April 1865, while serving with Company A, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Petersburg, Virginia. Corporal Matthews voluntarily took the colors, whose bearer had been disabled, and, although himself severely wounded, carried the same until the enemy’s works were taken.