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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Corporal · U.S. Army

John Shiel

Corporal John Shiel, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on December 13, 1862 in Fredericksburg, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War December 13, 1862Born in Scotland

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Corporal John Shiel received the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 13, 1862 in Fredericksburg, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company E, 90th Pennsylvania Infantry. Shiel was about 34 years old.

17 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on January 21, 1897, 34 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Shiel was born in May 1828 in Scotland — one of 41 recipients born in Scotland. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Shiel died on June 11, 1908 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of about 80. He is buried at Greenmount Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Records also list him as Shields, John.

Shiel is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Carried a dangerously wounded comrade into the Union lines, thereby preventing his capture by the enemy.

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

Places

  • Buried: Greenmount Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. May 1828
    Born in Scotland
  2. December 13, 1862
    Act of valor — Fredericksburg, Virginia
    Age about 34. Company E, 90th Pennsylvania Infantry
  3. January 21, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. June 11, 1908
    Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Age about 80.
  5. Resting place
    Greenmount Cemetery
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Biography

John Shiel (also known as John Shields and John Spiel, May 1828 - 11 June 1908) was a sergeant in the United States Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the American Civil War. Shiel was awarded the medal on 21 January 1897 for actions performed at the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13 December 1862.

From the Wikipedia article “John Shiel (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on December 13, 1862

JA John Gregory bishop Adams Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 WB Wallace A. Beckwith Private · Army Civil War · 1862 Zenas Randall Bliss Colonel · Army Civil War · 1862 JC Jacob Cart Private · Army Civil War · 1862 Charles Henry tucky Collis Colonel · Army Civil War · 1862 CC Charles Dearborn Copp Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862 TD Timothy Donoghue Private · Army Civil War · 1862 Francis Henry Goodall First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 William P. Hogarty Private · Army Civil War · 1862 John Johnson Private · Army Civil War · 1862 JK Joseph Keene Private · Army Civil War · 1862 George Henry Maynard Private · Army Civil War · 1862

See all 18 recipients for December 13, 1862 →

Same unit

WP William H. Paul Private · Army Civil War · 1862

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

James Monroe Reisinger Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 JW John Wainwright First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 WL William Edman Leonard Private · Army Civil War · 1864 BS Bernard A. Strausburgh First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ JR Jacob F. Raub Assistant Surgeon · Army Civil War · 1865 Frank Furness Captain · Army Civil War · 1864
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.