Ignatz Gresser (August 15, 1835 – August 1, 1919) was an American soldier and member of the 128th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment who fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

for carrying a wounded

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

soldier from the field of battle at

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union ...

. Gresser was born in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and emigrated to the United States in 1851 at the age of 15. He was a cobbler before and after the war. The soldier he saved was William Henry Sowden, who would go on to serve in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. Ignatz Gresser died in

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

on August 1, 1919 and was buried in West End cemetery in Allentown, where a statue is erected in his honor.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization. Corporal, Company D, 128th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Place and date: At Antietam, Maryland, September 17, 1862. Entered service at:

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Lehigh County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Lechaa Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 374,557.

. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: December 12, 1895. ;Citation

While exposed to the fire of the enemy, carried from the field a wounded comrade.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gresser, Ignatz 1835 births 1919 deaths Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor German-born Medal of Honor recipients German emigrants to the United States