Wilson was born in 1840 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and died August 15, 1915, in Trenton, New Jersey.
[1] During the Civil War he enlisted in the 1st New Jersey Cavalry and served as a sergeant.
He earned his medal in the Battle of Sayler's Creek, Virginia on April 6, 1865.
[2] Medal of Honor citation reads: For extraordinary heroism on 6 April 1865, in action at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia.
Sergeant Wilson charged the enemy's works, colors in hand, and had two horses shot from under him.