Private John Shapland was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 2, 1863 at Elk River, Tennessee during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 104th Illinois Infantry. Shapland was 31 years old.
27 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 30, 1897, 34 years after the action.
Shapland was born on March 4, 1832 in Barnstable, England — one of 98 recipients born in England. His Medal of Honor is credited to Ottawa, La Salle County, Illinois. Shapland died on February 5, 1923, at the age of 90. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in York, Nebraska. His medal is held by Founding Forward, Valley Forge, PA.
Shapland is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 210 credited to Illinois.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Voluntarily joined a small party that, under heavy fire, captured a stockade and saved the bridge.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →
Timeline
- March 4, 1832Born in Barnstable, England
- July 2, 1863Act of valor — Elk River, TennesseeAge 31. Company D, 104th Illinois Infantry
- October 30, 1897Medal of Honor presented
- February 5, 1923DiedAge 90.
- Resting placeGreenwood CemeteryYork, Nebraska
Biography
John Shapland (March 4, 1832 – February 5, 1923) was an English soldier who fought for the Union Army of the United States during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for valor.
From the Wikipedia article “John Shapland”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
