Veteran in crisis? Dial 988 then press 1 · Text 838255 Next observance: Navy Birthday · October 13
Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Benjamin Bennett Levy

Private Benjamin Bennett Levy, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on June 30, 1862 in Glendale, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War June 30, 1862

Private Benjamin Bennett Levy was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 30, 1862 in Glendale, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company G, 1st New York Infantry. Levy was 17 years old.

6 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on March 1, 1865, 2 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Color Sergeant.

Levy was born on February 22, 1845 in New York, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Newport News, Newport News County, Virginia. Levy died on July 20, 1921 in New York, New York, at the age of 76. He is buried at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Levy is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 48 credited to Virginia.

★ Flags & Colors

Official Medal of Honor citation

This soldier, a drummer boy, took the gun of a sick comrade, went into the fight, and when the color bearers were shot down, carried the colors and saved them from capture.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Life beyond the battlefield

  • Occupations: musician

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: New York City — map
  • Died: Brooklyn — map
  • Buried: Cypress Hills Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Virginia →

Timeline

  1. February 22, 1845
    Born in New York, New York
  2. June 30, 1862
    Act of valor — Glendale, Virginia
    Age 17. Company G, 1st New York Infantry
  3. March 1, 1865
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. July 20, 1921
    Died in New York, New York
    Age 76.
  5. Resting place
    Cypress Hills Cemetery
    Brooklyn, New York

Biography

Benjamin Bennett Levy (22 February 1845 – 20 July 1921) was a Private in the Union Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the American Civil War. His younger brother, Robert Levy, also served as a drummer, with the 7th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

From the Wikipedia article “Benjamin Levy”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on June 30, 1862

AB August Frederick Bronner Private · Army Civil War · 1862 HH Henderson Calvin Howard Corporal · Army Civil War · 1862 Rufus King Jr. First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 Martin Thomas McMahon Captain & Aide-de-Camp · Army Civil War · 1862 CS Charles Shambaugh Corporal · Army Civil War · 1862 George Uhrl Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862

More Civil War recipients from Virginia

ER Edward Ratcliff First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 James Gardiner Private · Army Civil War · 1864 WB William Henry Barnes Private · Army Civil War · 1864 WW William H. Woodall Scout · Army Civil War · 1865 JM James Mifflin Engineer's Cook · Navy Civil War · 1864 Charles W. Anderson Private · Army Civil War · 1865
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.