Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private John Chapman received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 6, 1865 at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company B, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. Chapman was 21 years old.
59 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 10, 1865.
Chapman was born on February 10, 1844 in Strasburg, France — one of 18 recipients born in France. His Medal of Honor is credited to Limerick, York County, Maine. Chapman died on September 30, 1905 in San Francisco, California, at the age of 61. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. Records also list him as Kauffman, Charles F..
Chapman is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 66 credited to Maine.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Capture of flag.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Places
From the archives
This Medal of Honor Recipient enlisted in the U.S. Army under the alias "John Chapman" because his father didn't want him to enlist.
Timeline
- February 10, 1844Born in Strasburg, France
- April 6, 1865Act of valor — Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), VirginiaAge 21. Company B, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery
- May 10, 1865Medal of Honor presented
- September 30, 1905Died in San Francisco, CaliforniaAge 61.
- Resting placeHoly Cross CemeteryColma, California
Biography
John Chapman (born Charles Felix Kauffman, February 10, 1844 – September 30, 1905) was a French soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Chapman received the United States' highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Battle of Sayler's Creek in Virginia on 6 April 1865. He was honored with the award on 10 May 1865.
From the Wikipedia article “John Chapman (Medal of Honor, 1865)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
