John F. Chase
Encyclopedia
John F. Chase was a Union Army
soldier in the American Civil War
and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
. An artilleryman, Chase earned the medal by continuing to work his cannon despite intense Confederate
fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville
. He later participated in the Battle of Gettysburg and was severely wounded, losing his right arm, by a Confederate artillery shell. After the war, Chase worked as an inventor before moving to the St. Petersburg, Florida
, area. In Florida, he was involved in various business pursuits, including an attempt to form a retirement community for former soldiers in Veteran City, today known as Gulfport
.
, and by May 3, 1863, was serving as a private
in the 5th Battery, Maine Light Artillery
. On that day, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, his unit was ordered to move forward through heavy fire, set up their six cannons, and commence firing on the Confederate forces. Confederate artillery had been established on a ridge 600 feet (182.9 m) away, and the guns poured heavy fire onto the 5th Maine's designated position. Within thirty minutes of setting up their own cannons, half of the men in Chase's battery were dead. Soon, all of the battery's officers had been killed or wounded and Chase's cannon was one of only two that were still operational. Lieutenant Edmund Kirby
from the 1st U.S. Battery arrived to take command of the 5th Maine. Immediately after reaching Chase's gun, a Confederate shell exploded nearby and struck Kirby in the hip, leaving him incapacitated. As he lay beside the cannon, Chase asked if he wanted to be taken from the field, and Kirby replied, "No, not as long as a gun can be fired."
Eventually, Chase and another man, Corporal James Lebroke, were the only members of the battery still standing. Together, they continued to fire their cannon, with Chase sponging and ramming the muzzle
, despite sustained fire from the Confederate artillery and approaching infantry. The gun was finally disabled when it was hit directly in the muzzle by a Confederate shell; the damage prevented Chase and Lebroke from reloading the weapon. Chase again asked Lieutenant Kirby if he wanted to be carried from the field, and Kirby replied, "No, not until the guns are taken off."
Stationed next to the 5th Maine Battery during the battle was the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry
of the Irish Brigade. Seeing that their position was about to be overrun, Second Lieutenant Louis J. Sacriste, in command of the 116th Pennsylvania's Company D, led his men through the smoke and enemy fire to reach the 5th Maine. While Chase and Lebroke lifted the rear of their cannon, Sacriste and his company attached ropes to the front and pulled the gun from the field. The rest of the 116th Pennsylvania and then the whole Irish Brigade joined in, pulling all of the cannons and caissons
to safety.
Satisfied that the cannons were out of the Confederates' reach, Chase returned to the field, picked up Lieutenant Kirby, and carried him to the rear. Before Chase left, Kirby took down his and Lebroke's names and stated "If ever two men have earned a Medal of Honor, you have, and you shall have it." Kirby died of his wounds three weeks later.
For these actions, Chase was awarded the Medal of Honor several decades later, on February 7, 1888. Louis Sacriste was also awarded the medal, in part for his actions in saving the 5th Maine Battery's cannons.
Chase's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
' I Corps and fought at Seminary Hill on the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863. As the Confederates advanced, the corps fell back past the town of Gettysburg, with Chase's battery taking up a position on a knoll between Culp's Hill
and Cemetery Hill
. On the battle's third day, July 3, the Confederates launched an assault on Cemetery Hill. Chase's battery fired with devastating effect on the attacking infantry, and in response, three or four Confederate batteries began targeting the 5th Maine's position.
A Confederate shell exploded near where Chase was standing. The blast took off his right arm, destroyed his left eye, and sent forty-eight pieces of shrapnel into his body. He was carried, unconscious, to the rear and left for dead. Two days later, his body was loaded onto a wagon along with many others to be buried. The wagon driver heard him moan, pulled him out from among the dead bodies, and gave him a drink of water. The first words Chase said were "Did we win the battle?".
Chase was taken to an Army hospital set up on a farm outside of Gettysburg and lain down beside a barn. The doctors there ignored him, thinking that he would die any minute, while they tended to other patients. After three days of lying on the ground, his wounds were bandaged and he was eventually moved into the farmhouse, where he stayed for a week. Sent to Seminary Hospital, his condition was still grim and about three weeks after arriving, he was again set outside to die. Despite the doctor's predictions, Chase survived his wounds. Following three months at Seminary Hospital, he was taken to West Philadelphia Hospital, where he stayed until he was well enough to return home to Augusta.
s for his work. His most well-known invention was a collapsible hoop skirt and bustle
combination. He married Maria Merrill and had five children: Lena, Beulah, Frank, Ralph, and Maud.
In 1895 he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where he engaged in a series of business ventures. These included working as a food peddler
, owning a steamboat, and trying unsuccessfully to gain permission to build a power station
and streetcar. His interest in the electric power industry brought him into contact with F. A. Davis
, and he was involved in Davis' Florida West Coast Company. Using funding provided by Davis, Chase promoted the growth of Veteran City, today known as Gulfport
, on St. Petersburg's southwest side. He encouraged the sale of land in the area and used his connections with veterans' organizations to arrange buyers from among former soldiers.
Chase, aged 70 or 71 at his death, was buried at Saint Bartholomew Episcopal Cemetery in St. Petersburg.
His Medal of Honor was passed down through his family until reaching great-grandson Steve Chase. On May 3, 2009, the 146th anniversary of the day John Chase earned the medal, his great-grandson donated it to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
during a ceremony at the park's Chancellorsville Visitor Center.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldier in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. An artilleryman, Chase earned the medal by continuing to work his cannon despite intense Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
. He later participated in the Battle of Gettysburg and was severely wounded, losing his right arm, by a Confederate artillery shell. After the war, Chase worked as an inventor before moving to the St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, area. In Florida, he was involved in various business pursuits, including an attempt to form a retirement community for former soldiers in Veteran City, today known as Gulfport
Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County, Florida and a suburb of St. Petersburg. The population of Gulfport was 12,527 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 12,740. Gulfport is part of the Tampa-St...
.
Battle of Chancellorsville
Chase joined the Army from Augusta, MaineAugusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
, and by May 3, 1863, was serving as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 5th Battery, Maine Light Artillery
5th Maine Battery
5th Maine Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 5th Maine Battery was organized in Augusta, Maine and mustered in for three years' service on December 4, 1861....
. On that day, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, his unit was ordered to move forward through heavy fire, set up their six cannons, and commence firing on the Confederate forces. Confederate artillery had been established on a ridge 600 feet (182.9 m) away, and the guns poured heavy fire onto the 5th Maine's designated position. Within thirty minutes of setting up their own cannons, half of the men in Chase's battery were dead. Soon, all of the battery's officers had been killed or wounded and Chase's cannon was one of only two that were still operational. Lieutenant Edmund Kirby
Edmund Kirby (army officer)
Edmund Kirby was a US Army officer who was killed in the American Civil War.He was born in Brownville, New York to Colonel Edmund Kirby, an army paymaster, and Eliza Brown, a daughter of US major general Jacob Brown. Through his father he was a cousin of Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith...
from the 1st U.S. Battery arrived to take command of the 5th Maine. Immediately after reaching Chase's gun, a Confederate shell exploded nearby and struck Kirby in the hip, leaving him incapacitated. As he lay beside the cannon, Chase asked if he wanted to be taken from the field, and Kirby replied, "No, not as long as a gun can be fired."
Eventually, Chase and another man, Corporal James Lebroke, were the only members of the battery still standing. Together, they continued to fire their cannon, with Chase sponging and ramming the muzzle
Muzzle (firearm)
The muzzle of a firearm is the end of the barrel from which the projectile will exit.Precise machining of the muzzle is crucial to accuracy, because it is the last point of contact between the barrel and the projectile...
, despite sustained fire from the Confederate artillery and approaching infantry. The gun was finally disabled when it was hit directly in the muzzle by a Confederate shell; the damage prevented Chase and Lebroke from reloading the weapon. Chase again asked Lieutenant Kirby if he wanted to be carried from the field, and Kirby replied, "No, not until the guns are taken off."
Stationed next to the 5th Maine Battery during the battle was the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry
116th Pennsylvania Infantry
The 116th Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It formed a part of the Irish Brigade.-History:...
of the Irish Brigade. Seeing that their position was about to be overrun, Second Lieutenant Louis J. Sacriste, in command of the 116th Pennsylvania's Company D, led his men through the smoke and enemy fire to reach the 5th Maine. While Chase and Lebroke lifted the rear of their cannon, Sacriste and his company attached ropes to the front and pulled the gun from the field. The rest of the 116th Pennsylvania and then the whole Irish Brigade joined in, pulling all of the cannons and caissons
Caisson (military)
A limber is a two-wheeled cart designed to support the trail of an artillery piece, or the stock of a field carriage such as a caisson or traveling forge, allowing it to be towed. A caisson is a two-wheeled cart designed to carry artillery ammunition...
to safety.
Satisfied that the cannons were out of the Confederates' reach, Chase returned to the field, picked up Lieutenant Kirby, and carried him to the rear. Before Chase left, Kirby took down his and Lebroke's names and stated "If ever two men have earned a Medal of Honor, you have, and you shall have it." Kirby died of his wounds three weeks later.
For these actions, Chase was awarded the Medal of Honor several decades later, on February 7, 1888. Louis Sacriste was also awarded the medal, in part for his actions in saving the 5th Maine Battery's cannons.
Chase's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Nearly all the officers and men of the battery having been killed or wounded, this soldier with a comrade continued to fire his gun after the guns had ceased. The piece was then dragged off by the two, the horses having been shot, and its capture by the enemy was prevented.
Battle of Gettysburg
Two months after earning the Medal of Honor at Chancellorsville, Chase participated in the Battle of Gettysburg. The 5th Maine Battery was a part of General John F. ReynoldsJohn F. Reynolds
John Fulton Reynolds was a career United States Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed at the start of the battle.-Early...
' I Corps and fought at Seminary Hill on the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863. As the Confederates advanced, the corps fell back past the town of Gettysburg, with Chase's battery taking up a position on a knoll between Culp's Hill
Culp's Hill
Culps Hill is a Battle of Gettysburg landform south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a heavily wooded summit of . The east slope is to Rock Creek , 160 feet lower in elevation, and the west slope is to a saddle with Stevens Knoll with a summit lower than the Culps Hill summit...
and Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
. On the battle's third day, July 3, the Confederates launched an assault on Cemetery Hill. Chase's battery fired with devastating effect on the attacking infantry, and in response, three or four Confederate batteries began targeting the 5th Maine's position.
A Confederate shell exploded near where Chase was standing. The blast took off his right arm, destroyed his left eye, and sent forty-eight pieces of shrapnel into his body. He was carried, unconscious, to the rear and left for dead. Two days later, his body was loaded onto a wagon along with many others to be buried. The wagon driver heard him moan, pulled him out from among the dead bodies, and gave him a drink of water. The first words Chase said were "Did we win the battle?".
Chase was taken to an Army hospital set up on a farm outside of Gettysburg and lain down beside a barn. The doctors there ignored him, thinking that he would die any minute, while they tended to other patients. After three days of lying on the ground, his wounds were bandaged and he was eventually moved into the farmhouse, where he stayed for a week. Sent to Seminary Hospital, his condition was still grim and about three weeks after arriving, he was again set outside to die. Despite the doctor's predictions, Chase survived his wounds. Following three months at Seminary Hospital, he was taken to West Philadelphia Hospital, where he stayed until he was well enough to return home to Augusta.
Post-war life
After the war, he returned to Maine and worked as an inventor, receiving dozens of patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for his work. His most well-known invention was a collapsible hoop skirt and bustle
Bustle
A bustle is a type of framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a woman's dress, occurring predominantly in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles were worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. Heavy fabric tended to...
combination. He married Maria Merrill and had five children: Lena, Beulah, Frank, Ralph, and Maud.
In 1895 he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where he engaged in a series of business ventures. These included working as a food peddler
Peddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
, owning a steamboat, and trying unsuccessfully to gain permission to build a power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and streetcar. His interest in the electric power industry brought him into contact with F. A. Davis
F. A. Davis
Frank Allston Davis was a publishing executive who founded the F. A. Davis Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After moving to the Tampa Bay Area, he introduced electricity to St...
, and he was involved in Davis' Florida West Coast Company. Using funding provided by Davis, Chase promoted the growth of Veteran City, today known as Gulfport
Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County, Florida and a suburb of St. Petersburg. The population of Gulfport was 12,527 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 12,740. Gulfport is part of the Tampa-St...
, on St. Petersburg's southwest side. He encouraged the sale of land in the area and used his connections with veterans' organizations to arrange buyers from among former soldiers.
Chase, aged 70 or 71 at his death, was buried at Saint Bartholomew Episcopal Cemetery in St. Petersburg.
His Medal of Honor was passed down through his family until reaching great-grandson Steve Chase. On May 3, 2009, the 146th anniversary of the day John Chase earned the medal, his great-grandson donated it to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and elsewhere in Spotsylvania County, commemorating four major battles in the American Civil War.-Park:...
during a ceremony at the park's Chancellorsville Visitor Center.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients