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Contact Info
Home Town Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Last Address Washington, DC
Date of Passing Jul 11, 1911
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served in the Civil War as Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry. He was awarded the CMOH while Major of the regiment for his bravery at Monterey Mountain, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1863. His citation reads "While commanding the regiment, charged down the mountain side at midnight, in a heavy rain, upon the enemy's fleeing wagon train. Many wagons were captured and destroyed and many prisoners taken". This charge was made on a column of retreating Confederate forces after they had been defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg the day before. During that Battle he assumed command of his regiment when its Colonel, Nathan P. Richmond was elevated to brigade command. His Medal was issued on April 7, 1898. His older brother, Henry Capehart, served as Colonel and commander of the regiment. He was one of fourteen 1st West Virginia Cavalry soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Civil War (the others being Private James F. Adams, Corporal Thomas Anderson, Lieutenant Wilmon W. Blackmar, Captain Hugh P. Boon, Sergeant Richard Boury, Colonel Henry Capehart, 1st Sergeant Francis M. Cunningham, Commissary Sergeant William Houlton, Private Archibald Rowand, Chief Bugler Charles Schorn, Corporal Emisire Shahan, Sergeant Levi Shoemaker, and Private Daniel A. Woods). Today in the Gettysburg National Military Park a monument stands for the 1st West Virginia Cavalry on Taneytown Road, North of Pleasonton Avenue.
1st West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Details
The 1st West Virginia Cavalry was organized at Wheeling, Clarksburg, and Morgantown in western Virginia between July 10 and November 25, 1861.
An analysis of the regiment by the George Tyler Moore Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia shows that it was composed of 32% native West Virginians, while 23% were from Pennsylvania, 16% Ohio, 6% Virginia, 10% were German immigrants and 13% were from other U.S. states.
The regiment was mustered out on July 8, 1865.
Fourteen men of the regiment performed actions that later earned them the Medal of Honor, the most of any Civil War regiment.