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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Lewis Francis Brest

Private Lewis Francis Brest, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 6, 1865 at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War April 6, 1865

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private Lewis Francis Brest 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 D, 57th Pennsylvania Infantry. Brest was 22 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.

Brest was born on May 15, 1842 in Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. His Medal of Honor is credited to Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Brest died on December 2, 1915 in Mercer, Pennsylvania, at the age of 73. He is buried at Citizens Cemetery in Mercer, Pennsylvania.

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

★ Flags & Colors

Official Medal of Honor citation

Capture of flag.

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

Battles and campaigns

1865 · Civil War

Battle of Sailor's Creek

Result: Union victory

21 Medal of Honor recipients

Places

  • Born: Mercer — map
  • Buried: Mercer — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. May 15, 1842
    Born in Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
  2. April 6, 1865
    Act of valor — Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia
    Age 22. Company D, 57th Pennsylvania Infantry
  3. May 10, 1865
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. December 2, 1915
    Died in Mercer, Pennsylvania
    Age 73.
  5. Resting place
    Citizens Cemetery
    Mercer, Pennsylvania

Biography

Lewis Francis Brest (May 15, 1842 - December 2, 1915) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for valor during the American Civil War.

From the Wikipedia article “Lewis F. Brest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on April 6, 1865

JB John Francis Benjamin Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 OB Orrin Bennett Private · Army Civil War · 1865 HB Hugh Patterson Boon Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 AB Andrew Bringle Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 IC Ivers S. Calkin First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 JC John Chapman Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AC Albert Adams Clapp First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 TC Trustrim Connell Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 FC Francis Marion Cunningham First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 Thomas Ward Custer Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 TD Thomas Davis Private · Army Civil War · 1865 WD Warren C. Dockum Private · Army Civil War · 1865

See all 60 recipients for April 6, 1865 →

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

Dewitt Clinton Lewis Captain · Army Civil War · 1862 GW George Washington Walton Private · Army Civil War · 1864 PW Peter Williams Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1862 WW William Williams Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1863 AC Alexander Crawford Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1864 John Frederic Hartranft Colonel · Army Civil War · 1861
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.