Leopold Karpeles

Citation for Congressional Medal of Honor

by Seymour "Sy" Brody

CIVIL WAR

Rank and organization:	Sergeant, Company E, Massachusetts Infantry
Place and date:	Wilderness, Virginia, 6 May, 1864
Birth:	Hungary
Date of issue:	30 April, 1870

CITATION

In the Battle of Wilderness, the Confederate forces had charged the Union lines many times and the woods were full of smoke. Sergeant Leopold Karpeles was entrusted with the colors which he kept waving as it was the only visible thing the Union soldiers could see. General Wadsworth rode up and down the Union lines on his horse shouting to his disarrayed soldiers "rally around the flag boys!" Risking his life, Sergeant Karpeles kept waving the flag as Confederate gun fire kept missing him. The Confederate Army was checked and defeated as the Union soldiers were able to reform their lines and fight back. For his bravery in face of the enemy fire, Sergeant Karpeles was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Source: Jewish Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.