Charles E. Capehart

A Midnight Cavalry Charge Through Rain and Darkness

Charles E. Capehart was a Union Army cavalry officer who received the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary leadership during the American Civil War. Serving as a major in the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, Capehart led a daring midnight charge against a retreating Confederate wagon train at Monterey Mountain, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1863. Despite heavy rain, darkness, and difficult terrain, he directed his regiment in an attack that resulted in the capture of Confederate prisoners and the destruction or seizure of numerous wagons. His actions earned him the nation's highest military decoration more than three decades later.

Born in 1833 near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Capehart was the younger brother of Henry Capehart, who would also become a Union Army officer and Medal of Honor recipient. Following their mother's death during their childhood, Charles moved with his father and brother to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the brothers attended school. Although further details of Charles's early education and civilian activities are limited, his subsequent military career would establish his reputation as a cavalry officer.

When the American Civil War began in April 1861, Capehart was living in Du Quoin, Illinois. He enlisted in the Union Army on April 18, 1861, and was formally mustered into service on May 2. His first military assignment was with Company G of the 12th Illinois Infantry, where he served for approximately three months before leaving service because of illness.

After recovering sufficiently to return to military duty, Capehart reenlisted and served as adjutant of the 31st Illinois Infantry. On May 16, 1862, he received a commission as captain and transferred to the 1st Virginia Cavalry, a Union regiment subsequently redesignated the 1st West Virginia Cavalry following West Virginia's admission to the Union in 1863.

Capehart advanced to the rank of major on June 6, 1863. His promotion came shortly before the Gettysburg Campaign, during which Union and Confederate armies engaged in a series of operations across Pennsylvania.

The 1st West Virginia Cavalry served with Union cavalry forces participating in the campaign. On July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg, Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth was killed in a cavalry attack. Colonel Nathaniel P. Richmond assumed additional command responsibilities within the brigade, and Major Capehart took command of the regiment.

Following the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee's army began withdrawing toward Virginia. Confederate wagon trains carrying supplies, equipment, and wounded soldiers moved through mountainous roads in southern Pennsylvania. Union cavalry forces pursued the retreating columns and sought opportunities to disrupt their movement.

During the night of July 4, 1863, Capehart and his regiment encountered Confederate forces near Monterey Pass, also described in his Medal of Honor citation as Monterey Mountain, Pennsylvania. The fighting occurred amid severe weather, with heavy rain and darkness complicating movement along the mountain roads.

At approximately midnight, Capehart directed his regiment in a charge down the mountainside against the Confederate wagon train. The steep terrain and poor visibility presented substantial difficulties for cavalry operations, but Capehart pressed the attack.

The sudden Union assault disrupted the Confederate column. As the cavalrymen advanced, Confederate troops attempted to resist the attack while others retreated along the crowded mountain route. Capehart's regiment continued its assault, capturing prisoners and destroying or seizing wagons belonging to the retreating force.

Accounts published by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society describe the broader fighting as resulting in the capture or destruction of approximately 300 wagons and 15 ambulances, together with the capture of about 1,300 prisoners. These figures describe the reported results of the engagement and should not be interpreted as achievements attributable to Capehart alone.

Capehart's individual contribution was his leadership of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry during the dangerous nighttime charge. His willingness to direct an attack through heavy rain and darkness against the retreating Confederate column distinguished his conduct during the operation.

The official Medal of Honor citation recognizes his command of the regiment during the midnight assault and the resulting capture and destruction of Confederate wagons, along with the taking of numerous prisoners.

Capehart continued his military career following the Gettysburg Campaign. On August 1, 1864, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, the highest rank recorded in his military service. He remained associated with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry during the final stages of the Civil War.

His brother, Henry Capehart, also distinguished himself during the conflict. Henry received the Medal of Honor for saving a drowning Union soldier under enemy fire at the Greenbrier River in West Virginia on May 22, 1864. The Capehart brothers became one of the documented pairs of brothers who received the Medal of Honor for their separate acts of bravery.

Charles E. Capehart completed his Union Army service in 1865, following the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Although his military record is well documented, relatively little verified information is available concerning his civilian occupation and personal activities during the decades after the war.

On April 7, 1898, Capehart received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Monterey Mountain on July 4, 1863. The award came nearly thirty-five years after the engagement and formally recognized his exceptional leadership during the nighttime cavalry assault.

Capehart lived until July 11, 1911, when he died in Washington, D.C., at approximately 78 years of age. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, where his grave is located in Section 3.

Charles E. Capehart's military legacy is closely connected to the 1st West Virginia Cavalry and the Union pursuit of Confederate forces following the Battle of Gettysburg. His leadership during the midnight charge at Monterey Pass demonstrated his ability to direct cavalry under difficult combat conditions.

His Medal of Honor preserves the historical recognition of a cavalry officer who led his regiment into action through darkness, heavy rain, and mountainous terrain. More than a century after his death, Charles E. Capehart remains remembered for his courage and leadership during one of the notable cavalry engagements associated with the Gettysburg Campaign.