Leopold Karpeles
Dublin Core
Title
Leopold Karpeles
Subject
Military History
Description
Leo Karpeles was born in 1838 in Prague, Bohemia. He emigrated to the United States, following his older brother, Emil, in 1849 where they both settled in Galveston, Texas. For several years, Leopold rode with the early Texas Rangers and was part of the Brownsville Guard; both companies helped to protect merchant shipments against Mexican bandits.
After a falling out with Emil, Leo moved to Massachusetts in 1860 to live with some of his abolitionist friends and to work for a dry goods store. In 1862, at the onset of the Civil War, Leopold enlisted in the 46th Massachusetts Regiment, and was appointed a front line position: color bearer. He was honorably discharged after his nine-month term, and reenlisted in 1863 in the 57th Regiment from Springfield, MA to continue fighting for the North. His commanding officer said of him:
His gallantry was conspicuous in the Battle of Wilderness ... and the North Anna River, in which latter fight he was wounded while far in advance of the line, bearing the colors of the Regiment; but he carried the colors until wounded the second time.
On April 30, 1870, for his extraordinary service, Leopold was the first of six Jewish Civil War Veterans to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor.
While recovering from his wounds after his second time enlisting, Leopold met the daughter of a reform rabbi in Washington, whom he married and had his first two children with. Sadly, his wife passed away, and he then married her sister and went on to have six more children. His granddaughter, Joyce Blackman, who lived in Providence, donated all of her grandfather's personal papers to us. Leopold's Medal of Honor is on display at the Wood Museum of Springfield History in Massachusetts.
After a falling out with Emil, Leo moved to Massachusetts in 1860 to live with some of his abolitionist friends and to work for a dry goods store. In 1862, at the onset of the Civil War, Leopold enlisted in the 46th Massachusetts Regiment, and was appointed a front line position: color bearer. He was honorably discharged after his nine-month term, and reenlisted in 1863 in the 57th Regiment from Springfield, MA to continue fighting for the North. His commanding officer said of him:
His gallantry was conspicuous in the Battle of Wilderness ... and the North Anna River, in which latter fight he was wounded while far in advance of the line, bearing the colors of the Regiment; but he carried the colors until wounded the second time.
On April 30, 1870, for his extraordinary service, Leopold was the first of six Jewish Civil War Veterans to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor.
While recovering from his wounds after his second time enlisting, Leopold met the daughter of a reform rabbi in Washington, whom he married and had his first two children with. Sadly, his wife passed away, and he then married her sister and went on to have six more children. His granddaughter, Joyce Blackman, who lived in Providence, donated all of her grandfather's personal papers to us. Leopold's Medal of Honor is on display at the Wood Museum of Springfield History in Massachusetts.
Creator
Leopold Karpeles
Publisher
Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association
Date
1862
Language
English
Type
War Medal
Files
Collection
Citation
Leopold Karpeles, “Leopold Karpeles,” Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, accessed April 27, 2024, https://rijha.omeka.net/items/show/12.