Illustration by Art Seiden
 |
Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Jewish Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor:
Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
LEOPOLD KARPELES
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.
This exhibit was prepared by Seymour "Sy" Brody, of Delray Beach, Florida,
editor of JWV's "The Jewish Veteran," and author of Jewish Heroes
of America and its sequel,
Jewish Heroes and Heroines of America, © 1996. The
illustrations are by Art Seiden of Woodmere, New York, a professional
artist with over 300 books to his credit.
For additional information, contact
Special Collections and Archives
S.E. Wimberly Library
Return to Table of Contents
Return to FAU Libraries Judaica Collections Home Page
FAU Libraries Home Page
FAU Home Page
URL: http://www.fau.edu/library/cmoh2.htm
This page is maintained by: FAU Libraries Web Manager
Last updated 18 October 2006