Louis C. Shepard
Encyclopedia
Lewis Capet Shepard was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio
and was a Union Navy
sailor during the American Civil War
who received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor
for his actions at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher
. Due to a Navy clerical error however his citation and history will always record his first name as Louis
, mustering in on the 27th of April 1861 for a term of three months. During that time he participated in the Battle of Rich Mountain
in Randolph County, Virginia
(now West Virginia)
. This first major land battle of the civil war and Union victory propelled General George B. McClellan
to command of the Army of the Potomac
. According to Shepards 19th OVI muster card he spent three days on extra duty setting telegraph poles, mustering out of this unit 30 Aug 1861.
He reenlisted in the 11th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery on the 18th of Sep 1861 for a period of three years. On Aug 26 1862 he was captured with 19 other soldiers from the 11th IBNYA at the Second Battle of Bull Run
also known as Second Manassas. During Oct and Nov 1862 he is listed with the 7th Detachment, 2nd Battalion, Paroled Prisoners, at Annapolis
, Maryland
. After returning to the 11th IBNYA in Dec 1862 he was promoted to Corporal on the 2nd of Jan 1863. Corporal Shepards unit was transferred to the Reserve Artillery and attached temporarily to Battery K, 1st New York Light Artillery, Shepard also saw action at Chancellorsville
, Gettysburg
and the Battle of Mine Run
.
Corporal Shepard was discharged on the 7th and reenlisted on the 8th of Feb 1864 in the 11th IBNYA at Brandy Station, Va. as a veteran volunteer under General Order 191 signed June 25, 1863. He was again discharged on the 23 of April 1864 after petitioning the Army for a transfer to the Navy under General Order 91 of 1864.
on the 25th of Apr 1864 at Baltimore, Maryland. as an ordinary seaman he served aboard the , , and the .
During his service aboard the , he participated in the landing party that assaulted Fort Fisher
in Wilmington, North Carolina
in January 1865. He advanced gallantly through severe enemy fire, while armed only with a revolver
and cutlass
, which made it impossible to return the fire at that range. Shepard succeeded in not only reaching the angle of the fort, but in being one of the few to enter it. When the rest of the men to his rear were forced to retreat due to devastating fire, Shepard was forced to withdraw and seek the shelter of one of the mounds near the stockade. Shepard then succeeded in regaining the safety of his ship.
Shepard was just 23 years old at the time. After the fall of Fort Fisher, the Confederate army
evacuated its remaining forts in the Cape Fear area, and Union forces soon overtook Wilmington
. Once Wilmington fell, the supply line of the Confederacy
was severed, and the war soon ended.
He was later presented with the Medal of Honor in recognition of his service. Due to a Navy clerical error, his citation reads Louis; however his name was spelled Lewis. Shepard died in Danbury, Ohio
, and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Port Clinton, Ohio
.
In April 2005, Ohio Congressman Steven C. LaTourette, representing the district that contains Shepard's native Ashtabula, passed a resolution in the House honoring Shephard. The flag that was flown over the United States Capitol
on April 27, 2005, was unveiled on Memorial Day 2005 during the dedication ceremony for the new Ashtabula County Veterans Memorial. VFW
Post 3334 in Jefferson was instrumental on behalf of the new memorial, and for choosing to honor the valor of Louis C. Shepard.
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Rank and Organization:
Citation:
No. 105
In the Name and by the Authority of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States.
To all to whom these presents shall come
Greeting
Know ye that Louis C. Shepard having received a Medal of Honor for distinguished gallantry in action, in accordance with the Acts of Congress and having rendered faithful service in maintaining the honor, integrity and supremacy of the United States of America, was received as a companion of the First Class of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States of America on the fourth day of October Anno Domine, eighteen hundred and ninety two
In Testimony Whereof the names of the Commander and Adjutant and the seal of the order are hereunto affixed. Given at Washington D.C. this ninth day of June in the year of our lord eighteen hundred and ninety seven
Nelson A. Miles
Commander
John Tweedale
Adjutant
Ashtabula County, Ohio
Ashtabula County is the northeasternmost county in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 101,497, its county seat is Jefferson. The county is named for a Native American word meaning "river of many fish"....
and was a Union Navy
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
sailor during 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...
who received America's highest military 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...
for his actions at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher
Second Battle of Fort Fisher
The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a joint assault by Union Army and naval forces against Fort Fisher, outside Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War...
. Due to a Navy clerical error however his citation and history will always record his first name as Louis
Army Service
Shepard enlisted as a private in Company I, of the 19th Ohio Infantry19th Ohio Infantry
The 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Three-months regiment:...
, mustering in on the 27th of April 1861 for a term of three months. During that time he participated in the Battle of Rich Mountain
Battle of Rich Mountain
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.-Background:...
in Randolph County, Virginia
Randolph County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,262 people, 11,072 households, and 7,661 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 13,478 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
(now West Virginia)
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. This first major land battle of the civil war and Union victory propelled General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
to command of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. According to Shepards 19th OVI muster card he spent three days on extra duty setting telegraph poles, mustering out of this unit 30 Aug 1861.
He reenlisted in the 11th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery on the 18th of Sep 1861 for a period of three years. On Aug 26 1862 he was captured with 19 other soldiers from the 11th IBNYA at the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
also known as Second Manassas. During Oct and Nov 1862 he is listed with the 7th Detachment, 2nd Battalion, Paroled Prisoners, at Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. After returning to the 11th IBNYA in Dec 1862 he was promoted to Corporal on the 2nd of Jan 1863. Corporal Shepards unit was transferred to the Reserve Artillery and attached temporarily to Battery K, 1st New York Light Artillery, Shepard also saw action at 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...
, Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
and the Battle of Mine Run
Battle of Mine Run
The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run Campaign , was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War....
.
Corporal Shepard was discharged on the 7th and reenlisted on the 8th of Feb 1864 in the 11th IBNYA at Brandy Station, Va. as a veteran volunteer under General Order 191 signed June 25, 1863. He was again discharged on the 23 of April 1864 after petitioning the Army for a transfer to the Navy under General Order 91 of 1864.
Navy Service
Enlisting in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on the 25th of Apr 1864 at Baltimore, Maryland. as an ordinary seaman he served aboard the , , and the .
During his service aboard the , he participated in the landing party that assaulted Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
in Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
in January 1865. He advanced gallantly through severe enemy fire, while armed only with a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
and cutlass
Cutlass
A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket shaped guard...
, which made it impossible to return the fire at that range. Shepard succeeded in not only reaching the angle of the fort, but in being one of the few to enter it. When the rest of the men to his rear were forced to retreat due to devastating fire, Shepard was forced to withdraw and seek the shelter of one of the mounds near the stockade. Shepard then succeeded in regaining the safety of his ship.
Shepard was just 23 years old at the time. After the fall of Fort Fisher, the Confederate army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
evacuated its remaining forts in the Cape Fear area, and Union forces soon overtook Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
. Once Wilmington fell, the supply line of the Confederacy
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...
was severed, and the war soon ended.
He was later presented with the Medal of Honor in recognition of his service. Due to a Navy clerical error, his citation reads Louis; however his name was spelled Lewis. Shepard died in Danbury, Ohio
Danbury Township, Ottawa County, Ohio
Danbury Township is one of the twelve townships of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 4,631 people in the township, 3,869 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...
.
In April 2005, Ohio Congressman Steven C. LaTourette, representing the district that contains Shepard's native Ashtabula, passed a resolution in the House honoring Shephard. The flag that was flown over the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
on April 27, 2005, was unveiled on Memorial Day 2005 during the dedication ceremony for the new Ashtabula County Veterans Memorial. VFW
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
Post 3334 in Jefferson was instrumental on behalf of the new memorial, and for choosing to honor the valor of Louis C. Shepard.
Medal of Honor citation
- Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1843, Ohio. Accredited to: Ohio. G.O. No.: 59, June 22, 1865.
Citation:
Served as seaman on board the U.S.S. Wabash in the assault on Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865. Advancing gallantly through severe enemy fire while armed only with a revolver and cutlass which made it impossible to return the fire at that range, Shepard succeeded in reaching the angle of the fort and in going on, to be one of the few who entered the fort. When the rest of the body of men to his rear were forced to retreat under a devastating fire, he was forced to withdraw through lack of support and to seek the shelter of one of the mounds near the stockade from which point he succeeded in regaining the safety of his ship.
Medal of Honor Legion
In the Name and by the Authority of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States.
To all to whom these presents shall come
Greeting
Know ye that Louis C. Shepard having received a Medal of Honor for distinguished gallantry in action, in accordance with the Acts of Congress and having rendered faithful service in maintaining the honor, integrity and supremacy of the United States of America, was received as a companion of the First Class of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States of America on the fourth day of October Anno Domine, eighteen hundred and ninety two
In Testimony Whereof the names of the Commander and Adjutant and the seal of the order are hereunto affixed. Given at Washington D.C. this ninth day of June in the year of our lord eighteen hundred and ninety seven
Nelson A. Miles
Nelson A. Miles
Nelson Appleton Miles was a United States soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.-Early life:Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on his family's farm...
Commander
John Tweedale
John Tweedale
John Tweedale was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Stones River.-Post war:...
Adjutant
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: Q–S