Leopold Karpeles

Leopold Karpeles
Born	9 September 1838 Prague, Bohemia
Died	2 February 1909 (aged 70)
Place of burial	Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service / branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1862 – 1863, 1864 – 1865
Rank	Color Sergeant
Unit	46th Massachusetts Infantry 57th Massachusetts Infantry
Battles / wars	Battle of the Wilderness Battle of North Anna
Awards	Medal of Honor

Leopold Karpeles (9 September, 1838 – 2 February, 1909) was a flagbearer in the Union Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.

Biography

Born in Prague to a Jewish family, Karpeles moved to Galveston, Texas at age 11 with his older brother Emil. In 1861, differing views with his brother on slavery and secession led to Leopold moving to Springfield, Massachusetts.

Karpeles joined the 46th Massachusetts Infantry in August 1862, and mustered out with this regiment in July 1863. After briefly working as a clerk, he joined the 57th Massachusetts Infantry in the spring of 1864. He was seriously wounded at the Battle of North Anna, and was discharged in May 1865.

Karpeles received the Medal of Honor in April 1870 for rallying retreating troops, inducing them to check the enemy's advance while under heavy fire on May 6, 1864, during the Battle of the Wilderness.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 57th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1864. Entered service at: Springfield, Mass. Birth: Hungary. Date of issue: April 30, 1870.

Citation:

While color bearer, rallied the retreating troops and induced them to check the enemy's advance.

See also

• List of Jewish Medal of Honor recipients
• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L

References

• "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (A-L)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 6, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
• "Leopold Karpeles". Retrieved September 29, 2010.
• "Leopold Karpeles Biography at the Jewish-American Hall of Fame". Retrieved September 29, 2010.
• "Leopold Karpeles". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-07-04.