Joseph H. De Castro
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| Joseph H. De Castro | |
|---|---|
| November 14, 1844 - May 8, 1892 | |
 Army Medal of Honor (1862-1895) |
|
| Place of birth | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Place of death | Newark, New Jersey |
| Allegiance | Union Army |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Company I, 19th Massachusetts Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War * Battle of Gettysburg, |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Corporal Joseph H. De Castro (November 14, 1844-May 8, 1892) born in Boston, Massachusetts, was the first Hispanic-American to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor in combat — the Medal of Honor — for having distinguished himself during Pickett's Charge in the Battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War.
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[edit] Biography
De Castro was the Massachusetts State flag bearer of Company I, 19th Massachusetts Infantry, an all volunteer unit. The unit participated in the Battle of Gettysburg at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania as part of the III Corps 3rd Brigade, U.S. Army under the command of Colonel Norman J. Hall.
On July 3, 1863, the third and last day of the battle, his unit participated in what became known as Pickett's Charge. Pickett's Charge was a disastrous infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge.
During the battle, De Castro attacked a confederate flag bearer from the 19th Virginia regiment, with the staff of his own colors and seized the opposing regiment's flag, handing the prize over to General Alexander S. Webb. General Webb is quoted as saying, "At the instant a man broke through my lines and thrust a rebel battle flag into my hands. He never said a word and darted back. It was Corporal Joseph H. De Castro, one of my color bearers. He had knocked down a color bearer in the enemy's line with the staff of the Massachusetts State colors, seized the falling flag and dashed it to me".[1]
On December 1, 1864, De Castro became one the seven men from the 19th Massachusetts Infantry to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
Sergeant Joseph H. De Castro 1863 U.S. Army
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 19th Massachusetts Infantry
Place and date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863
Entered service at:-----
Birth:Boston, Mass.
Date of issue: 1 December 1864
Citation: "Capture of flag of 19th Virginia regiment (C.S.A.)".
[edit] Postscript
Little else is known about De Castro except that he was married to Rosalia Rodriguez and that he is buried at Fairmount Cemetery, Newark, New Jersey.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Magazine of American History, page 18.
[edit] References
- The Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries, Martha J. Lamb (editor), volume XVIII, July-December 1887. Retrieved on 20 July 2006.
- Civil War Medals of Honor. Retrieved on 20 July 2006.
- Hispanic-Americans in the Army. Retrieved on 20 July 2006.
[edit] External links
- Gettysburg's Medal of Honor Recipients. Retrieved on 20 July 2006.
- Units of the ARMY at the Battle of Gettysburg. Retrieved on 20 July 2006.
[edit] Further reading
- Right Before Our Eyes: Latinos Past, Present & Future by Robert Montemayor, Henry (COL) Mendoza.
- Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, by Noah Andre Trudeau.
- Pickett's Charge— The Last Attack at Gettysburg: The Last Attack at Gettysburg by Earl J Hess
