Photo of Karpeles

1860s: Leopold Karpeles carried the regimental colors for the Union Army in more than 15 battles, including Gettysburg. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for rallying the troops during the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia. Later wounded, Karpeles was brought to Washington, where he recuperated under the care of Washington Hebrew’s visiting nurses. After the war, he married one of his nurses, Sarah Mundheim, and became a clerk in the U.S. Postal Department.

JHSGW Collections.

Seen also: A House Divided