Samuel Hodge, VC ( 1840 – 14 January 1868) was a West Indian soldier in the British Army and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers. From the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, he was the second black man to be awarded the Victoria Cross after William Hall.
Details
Samuel Hodge was one of the West Indian soldiers who garrisoned British positions on the West coast of Africa during the 19th century. White troops suffered terribly from malaria, blackwater fever and dysentery, and the War Office addressed the problem by using troops of the West India Regiments. and was buried at the military cemetery there.
Victoria Cross citation
The citation reads: