American Civil War
The American Civil War was a major conflict fought between the federal government of the United States and eleven of its member States which sought to secede and to create their own government, the Confederate States of America. It started on April 12, 1861, shortly after Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States, and ended four years later on April 9, 1865. During the war over 10,000 military engagements took place and more than 3 million people fought on both sides with 40% of the battles being fought in the states of Virginia and Tennessee.
Since its creation, 1522 have received the Medal of Honor for actions during the American Civil War and depending on sources, as many as seven were Jewish.
- Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation
| Image | Name | Service | Rank | Place of action | Date of action | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Cohn, AbrahamAbraham Cohn | Army | E-09 !Sergeant Major | Battle of the Wilderness and Battle of the Crater, Virginia | 01864-05-06May 6, 1864 and July 30, 1864 | "During Battle of the Wilderness rallied and formed, under heavy fire, disorganized and fleeing troops of different regiments. At Petersburg, Va., ... bravely and coolly carried orders to the advanced line under severe fire." | |
| — | Gause, IsaacIsaac Gause | Army | E-04 !Corporal | near Berryville, Virginia | 01864-09-13Sep 13, 1864 | "Capture of the colors of the 8th South Carolina Infantry while engaged in a reconnaissance" | |
| — | Greenawalt, AbrahamAbraham Greenawalt | Army | E-01 !Private | Franklin, Tennessee | 01864-11-30November 30, 1864 | "Capture of corps headquarters flag (C.S.A.)" | |
| — | Heller, HenryHenry Heller | Army | E-05 !Sergeant | Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia | 01863-05-02May 2, 1863 | "One of a party of 4 who, under heavy fire, voluntarily brought into the Union lines a wounded Confederate officer from whom was obtained valuable information concerning the position of the enemy." | |
| — | Karpeles, LeopoldLeopold Karpeles | Army | E-05 !Sergeant | Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia | 01864-05-06May 6, 1864 | "While color bearer, rallied the retreating troops and induced them to check the enemy's advance" | |
| — | Levy, BenjaminBenjamin Levy | Army | E-01 !Private | Battle of Glendale, Virginia | 01862-06-30Jun 30, 1862 | Drummer boy, took the gun of a sick comrade and went into the fight, when the color bearers were shot down he carried the colors and saved them from capture. | |
| — | Orbansky, DavidDavid Orbansky | Army | E-01 !Private | Shiloh, Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi | 01862-01-011862 and 1863 | "Gallantry in actions" |
Read more about this topic: List Of Jewish Medal Of Honor Recipients
Famous quotes containing the words civil war, american, civil and/or war:
“Colonel Shaw
and his bell-cheeked Negro infantry
on St. Gaudens shaking Civil War relief,
propped by a plank splint against the garage’s earthquake.”
—Robert Lowell (1917–1977)
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—Edith Wharton (1862–1937)
“Both of us felt more anxiety about the South—about the colored people especially—than about anything else sinister in the result. My hope of a sound currency will somehow be realized; civil service reform will be delayed; but the great injury is in the South. There the Amendments will be nullified, disorder will continue, prosperity to both whites and colored people will be pushed off for years.”
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“Germany has reduced savagery to a science, and this great war for the victorious peace of justice must go on until the German cancer is cut clean out of the world body.”
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)