Whitney was awarded (1895) the Medal of Honor for action on September 20, 1863, at the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia.

He was one of four Hillsdale College students to win the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War.

In Deeds of Valor (p. 269) Whitney tells of the action that resulted in his receiving the Medal of Honor: "Noon of September 20, 1863, found our brigade- Stanley's-Negley's Division, Thomas' Corps, on Snodgrass Hill, a part of Missionary Ridge.

The brigade consisted of the Nineteenth Illinois, Eighteenth Ohio and Eleventh Michigan, about 700 men, placed in line of battle as follows: Nineteenth Illinois on the right, Eleventh Michigan on the left, and the Eighteenth Ohio in reserve.

During a lull in the storm of battle we threw up a temporary breastwork of stone, rails and logs.

The enemy were about 100 yards in our front, preparing for another charge, and their sharpshooters were firing at every man who showed his head above our light works.

Citation: As the enemy were about to charge, this officer went outside the temporary Union works among the dead and wounded enemy and at great exposure to himself cut off and removed their cartridge boxes, bringing the same within the Union lines, the ammunition being used with good effect in again repulsing the attack.