William L. Graul (July 27, 1846 – September 2, 1909) was a

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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

soldier 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 ...

who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, 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. ...

Formative years

Graul was born on July 27, 1846, in

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

, where he was educated in the local schools.

American Civil War

Graul enrolled for military service during the

in Reading, Pennsylvania. At the age of eighteen, he was awarded the

, for extraordinary heroism shown at Fort Harrison during the

Battle of Chaffin's Farm The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought in Virginia on September 29–30, 1864, as part of the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War. ...

. His act of valor was committed while placing the American flag on the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

fortifications, while serving as a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

with Company I of the 188th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The flag of Graul's regiment, the 188th Pennsylvania Infantry, was carried by Cecil Clay, for which Clay was also awarded a Medal of Honor. Graul's Medal of Honor was issued on April 6, 1865.

Post-war life

Following the war, Graul returned home and resumed his family life. He had five children.

Medal of Honor citation

References

External links

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Graul, WIlliam 1846 births 1909 deaths American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Burials at Charles Evans Cemetery People from Reading, Pennsylvania Union Army officers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War