Starkins enlisted in the Army as a
blacksmith on 7 October 1861 in Flushing and was assigned to the
34th New York Battery. He was promoted to
corporal and then to
sergeant but was demoted to
private during his first enlistment. He re-enlisted in the Army on November 5, 1863, as a sergeant but was demoted to private again. He was promoted to first sergeant twice, once on 13 November 1864 and once on 1 January 1865. He was mustered out of service on 21 June 1865 at
Hart's Island, New York. On 16 November 1863, during the
Battle of Campbell's Station in
Tennessee, Starkins maneuvered his artillery piece off the field of battle without taking any casualties. His Medal of Honor citation for this action reads: == References ==