James Kephart (April 22, 1842 - April 27, 1932) was an American recipient of 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 valo ...

who earned the medal in action during 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 ...

Biography

Kephart was born in

Venango County, Pennsylvania Venango County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,454. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1805. Venango County comprises the Oil Cit ...

on April 22, 1842. He served as a private in Company C of the 13th U.S. Infantry of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the American Civil War. He earned his medal in action at the

Battle of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mis ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

on May 19, 1863. Kephart's medal was issued on May 13, 1899. Kephart lived in

Webster City, Iowa Webster City is a city in Hamilton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,825 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County. Webster City is known as 'Boone River Country', as the Boone River meanders along the east sid ...

after the war where he served on the City Board of Education. He died in

Gooding, Idaho Gooding is the county seat and largest city of Gooding County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,567 at the 2010 census. The city is named for Frank R. Gooding, a local sheep rancher who became a prominent political figure in Idaho in ...

on April 27, 1932, and is now buried there in Elmwood Cemetery.

Medal of Honor Citation

For extraordinary heroism on 19 May 1863, in action at

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vi ...

. Private Kephart voluntarily and at the risk of his life, under a severe fire of the enemy, aided and assisted to the rear an officer who had been severely wounded and left on the field.

References

American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People from Venango County, Pennsylvania 1842 births 1932 deaths {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub