Ignatz Gresser (August 15, 1835 – August 1, 1919) was an American soldier and member of the 128th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment who fought in the American Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for carrying a wounded Union soldier from the field of battle at Antietam.[1][2]
Ignatz Gresser | |
|---|---|
 Ignatz Gresser | |
| Born | August 15, 1835 Germany |
| Died | August 1, 1919 (aged 83) Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Buried | Union-West End Cemetery, Allentown |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit |  Company D, 128th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Gresser was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1851 at the age of 15. He was a cobbler before and after the war.[3] The soldier he saved was William Henry Sowden, who would go on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.[4]
Ignatz Gresser died in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 1, 1919, and was buried in West End cemetery in Allentown, where a statue is erected in his honor.[4]
Medal of Honor citation
editRank and organization. Corporal, Company D, 128th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Place and date: At Antietam, Maryland, September 17, 1862. Entered service at: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: December 12, 1895.
- Citation
While exposed to the fire of the enemy, carried from the field a wounded comrade.
References
edit- ^ "GRESSER, IGNATZ". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ Beyer, Walter F.; Keydel, Oscar F. (1901). Deeds of Valor: How America's Heroes Won the Medal of Honor. The Perrien-Keydel Company.
- ^ Whelan, Frank (May 25, 1998). "Courageous Cobbler Shoemaker Ignatz Gresser Started As A Weekend Soldier, Then Won The Medal Of Honor For Saving Lives". The Morning Call. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ a b "Ignatz Gresser, 1st Defender, Answers Final Summons". The Morning Call. August 2, 1919. p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- Ignatz Gresser at Medal of Honor society
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