Casper R. Carlisle

Casper R. Carlisle was born in 1841 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. During the American Civil War, he entered Union service and served in the United States Army as a Private in Company F, Independent Pennsylvania Light Artillery. His military service was credited to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Carlisle’s place in American military history was established during the Battle of Gettysburg, where his conduct under intense enemy fire later earned him the Medal of Honor.

As an artilleryman, Carlisle served in one of the most demanding branches of Civil War combat. Field artillery batteries operated heavy cannon, ammunition chests, limbers, and teams of horses, often from exposed positions where both enemy artillery and infantry fire could be devastating. The mobility and survival of an artillery piece depended heavily on its horses and drivers. If those men and animals were killed or wounded during battle, the gun itself could be left stranded and vulnerable to capture.

Carlisle’s defining act of heroism occurred on July 2, 1863, during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle, fought from July 1 through July 3, became one of the largest and most consequential engagements of the American Civil War. On July 2, Confederate forces launched powerful attacks against several sections of the Union defensive line, producing fierce fighting across the battlefield.

During the fighting, Carlisle’s battery came under heavy musketry. One of the battery’s artillery pieces was placed in serious danger after most of the horses connected with the gun were killed and the drivers were wounded. Without an effective team to move it, the gun risked being abandoned or falling into enemy hands.

Private Carlisle remained in the dangerous combat area and helped save the artillery piece despite the intense enemy fire. His Medal of Honor citation specifically recognized him for saving one of the battery’s guns under heavy musketry after most of the horses had been killed and the drivers wounded.

Although the official citation is brief, the importance of Carlisle’s action was substantial. Civil War artillery pieces were valuable battlefield assets, and losing a gun not only weakened a battery’s combat power but could also provide the enemy with equipment and a symbolic battlefield prize. By helping preserve the gun under such dangerous circumstances, Carlisle demonstrated personal courage, determination, and devotion to duty while directly exposed to hostile fire.

Carlisle performed this action while holding the rank of Private. This is the verified rank associated with his Medal of Honor action and remains the appropriate rank for his hero profile.

His heroism at Gettysburg was not formally recognized immediately. Nearly three decades after the battle, Carlisle was awarded the Medal of Honor on December 21, 1892 for his actions of July 2, 1863.

For the VictoriaCross.ca database, the historically appropriate medal entry is:

Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army

This version corresponds to the United States Army Medal of Honor used for awards made during that historical period. Carlisle’s award date of December 21, 1892 places his decoration within the 1862–1895 Army Medal of Honor era.

The Medal of Honor itself originated during the American Civil War. Congress authorized the Navy Medal of Honor in 1861 and the Army Medal of Honor in 1862. It developed into the highest military decoration of the United States, recognizing extraordinary acts of courage and distinguished conduct in military service. Many Civil War soldiers received their Medal of Honor years after the actions for which they were recognized, and Carlisle was among those veterans whose battlefield heroism received formal recognition decades later.

Carlisle’s Medal of Honor was specifically connected to his service as an Army artilleryman at Gettysburg. No clasp, star, bar, or other device is verified for his Medal of Honor.

Although Carlisle’s Civil War service might appear to make him generally eligible for later Civil War campaign recognition, eligibility alone does not establish recipient-specific entitlement. Under the research standard used for this project, no additional campaign medal should be added without sufficient evidence showing that Carlisle personally received or was officially entitled to that specific decoration.

For that reason, the Civil War Campaign Medal is not included in Carlisle’s finalized medal rack. His verified award record should contain only the Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army, with no additional device or clasp.

Carlisle survived the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War and lived for many years afterward. His later civilian life is less extensively documented than his military service, so unsupported details about his postwar career should not be added to his biography.

Casper R. Carlisle died on April 29, 1908. He was buried at Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Pennsylvania, leaving behind a military legacy centered on one exceptionally dangerous moment during the Battle of Gettysburg.

His historical significance rests on the courage he displayed while serving as an enlisted artilleryman. Under heavy musketry, with the horses of an artillery team largely killed and the drivers wounded, Carlisle helped save a Union gun from being lost during one of the most intense battles of the American Civil War.

Nearly thirty years later, the United States formally recognized that act by awarding him the Medal of Honor. Today, Casper R. Carlisle is remembered as a United States Army Medal of Honor recipient whose bravery at Gettysburg demonstrated the determination and courage required of Civil War artillerymen operating under direct enemy fire.

His final verified medal record is therefore:

Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army — Awarded December 21, 1892 for action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1863 — No device or clasp.