John H. Haight (July 1, 1841 - April 8, 1917) was a United States soldier who fought with the Union Army during the American Civil War as a member of the 72nd New York Infantry.

[3] John H. Haight and his younger brother, George, became two of New York's earliest responders to President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers to defend Washington, D.C. following the mid-April 1861 fall of Fort Sumter to Confederate States Army troops.

[4] Initially under the command Colonel Nelson Taylor, the Haight brothers and their regiment were transported to Washington, D.C., where they assisted in the defense of the city before participating in the Union Army's expedition to lower Maryland (September 15–October 2, 1861).

They were then reassigned with Sickles' Brigade to the U.S. Army of the Potomac in October as part of the division commanded by Brigadier-General Joseph Hooker.

Their next significant deployment came as part of the U.S. Army's Third Corps, Second Division when they engaged in the Union Army's advance on Manassas, Virginia (March 10, 1862), the expedition from Dumfries to Fredericksburg, capture of stores (March 18), and reconnoissance from Liverpool Point to Stafford Court House and subsequent operations there (April 4).

[5][6] Reassigned with their regiment to the Peninsula Campaign, it was during this phase of service that one of the Haight brothers would be killed in action while the other would perform the heroic acts which would ultimately lead to his being awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor.

I tried to attract their attention so that the captain could manage to escape, and in so doing was shot in the left groin, received a pretty severe scratch across both legs, and a buckshot wound in the belt.

[9][10] Once again, Haight demonstrated Medal of Honor-winning valor:[7][12] On August 27, 1862, at the battle of Bristow (sic) Station, I was suffering greatly from a severe carbuncle on my neck.

They advanced towards the enemy's lines under a heavy fire, and succeeded in bringing out Private Plumb and several others whose names are not known.Honorably discharged on March 1, 1863 from Camp Nelson Taylor in Virginia via a surgeon's certificate of disability, Haight's heroism was declared "extraordinary" 25 years later when he was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor on June 8, 1888 (see "Medal of Honor citation" below).

[7] Following his honorable discharge from the military, John Haight returned home to Westfield, and resumed life with his mother, stepfather and siblings.

[1] Citation: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant John H. Haight, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on May 5, 1862, while serving with Company G, 72d New York Infantry, in action at Williamsburg, Virginia.