First Sergeant Joseph Bell Kemp, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on May 6, 1864 at Wilderness Campaign, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company D, 5th Michigan Infantry. Kemp was 19 years old.
12 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on December 1, 1864. He later rose to the rank of Captain.
Kemp was born on July 1, 1844 in Lima, Allen County, Ohio. His Medal of Honor is credited to Sault Ste. Marie, Chippewa County, Michigan. Kemp died on July 13, 1917 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the age of 73. He is buried at Forest Hills Cemetery in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Kemp is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 112 credited to Michigan.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Capture of flag of 31st North Carolina (C.S.A.) in a personal encounter.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
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Timeline
- July 1, 1844Born in Lima, Allen County, Ohio
- May 6, 1864Act of valor — Wilderness Campaign, VirginiaAge 19. Company D, 5th Michigan Infantry
- December 1, 1864Medal of Honor presented
- July 13, 1917Died in Ann Arbor, MichiganAge 73.
- Resting placeForest Hills CemeteryAnn Arbor, Michigan
Biography
Joseph Bell Kemp (July 1, 1844 – July 13, 1917) was an American soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864 during the American Civil War.
From the Wikipedia article “Joseph Kemp (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
