Charles H. Clausen

Wounded but Unbroken: The Officer Who Saved a Battery

Charles H. Clausen was an American Union Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery during the American Civil War. Serving as a first lieutenant in Company H of the 61st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Clausen distinguished himself at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, on May 12, 1864. Although severely wounded during the fighting, he continued leading his regiment against Confederate forces under intense enemy fire and helped save an artillery battery from capture. His actions earned him the nation's highest military decoration nearly three decades after the battle.

Born on September 22, 1842, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Clausen grew up in a city that would contribute thousands of volunteers to the Union Army during the Civil War. Little verified information survives concerning his childhood, education, family background, or activities before military service. His documented military career began in April 1861, shortly after the outbreak of the conflict.

On April 25, 1861, Clausen enlisted as a corporal in Company I of the 17th Pennsylvania Infantry. The regiment was organized for three months of military service during the initial mobilization of Union forces. During this period, the regiment performed military duties in and around Washington, D.C., and along the Potomac River in Virginia.

After completing his initial enlistment, Clausen was mustered out on August 2, 1861. He soon returned to military service, joining Company H of the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry on August 21, 1861, as a first sergeant.

His position as first sergeant placed him among the senior noncommissioned officers responsible for company organization, discipline, and the execution of military orders. His subsequent advancement reflected his progression from enlisted service into the commissioned officer ranks.

On October 7, 1862, Clausen was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He received another promotion on September 12, 1863, becoming a first lieutenant. By this time, he had accumulated more than two years of military experience with Pennsylvania volunteer regiments.

The 61st Pennsylvania Infantry participated in several major Union Army operations in the eastern theater. Clausen's documented service included the Maryland Campaign of 1862, during which he was present with his company at the Battle of Antietam.

By the spring of 1864, the regiment was participating in Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The campaign began with intense fighting in the Wilderness before continuing toward Spotsylvania Court House.

On May 12, 1864, Union forces launched a major assault against Confederate defensive positions at Spotsylvania. The fighting concentrated around a heavily fortified Confederate salient, where repeated attacks produced some of the most intense combat of the campaign.

The 61st Pennsylvania Infantry took part in the fighting on that day. The regiment was exposed to heavy enemy fire, and its officers and enlisted soldiers suffered substantial casualties.

Clausen was serving as a first lieutenant in Company H when he performed the action that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. During the engagement, he was severely wounded while participating in the regiment's operations against Confederate forces.

Despite his injuries, Clausen continued leading the regiment under heavy enemy fire. His actions helped prevent an artillery battery from falling into Confederate hands.

The official Medal of Honor citation recognized that, although severely wounded, he led his regiment against the enemy under intense fire and saved a battery from capture.

His recognized conduct demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership. Rather than allowing his injuries to prevent him from fulfilling his responsibilities, Clausen continued directing soldiers during a dangerous engagement in which the regiment faced determined Confederate resistance.

The citation does not provide a detailed account of the precise movements by which the battery was saved. Nevertheless, it clearly establishes Clausen's leadership while wounded and his role in preventing the artillery position from being captured.

The fighting at Spotsylvania represented one of the most difficult periods of the Union Army's 1864 operations in Virginia. Clausen's personal actions on May 12 became the defining event of his military career and the foundation of his later recognition.

Following the battle, Clausen continued his association with the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. On October 1, 1864, he was promoted to captain of Company E, advancing beyond the first lieutenant rank he had held during his Medal of Honor action.

Captain was the highest military rank he attained during his documented service. His promotion occurred several months after the fighting at Spotsylvania and must therefore be distinguished from his rank at the time of his heroic conduct.

Clausen's military service extended into 1865. His wartime injuries affected his later service, although the available historical accounts contain differing details concerning the exact circumstances and date of his separation from the Army.

After the war, Clausen lived for several decades. The surviving Medal of Honor and military service records provide limited information concerning his civilian occupation, family life, and professional activities during the postwar period.

On June 25, 1892, Charles H. Clausen received the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery at Spotsylvania Court House on May 12, 1864. The award came more than twenty-eight years after the engagement and formally recognized the courage and leadership he had demonstrated while severely wounded.

The Medal of Honor citation identified him by his wartime action rank of first lieutenant, preserving the rank he held when he performed the recognized act. His subsequent promotion to captain remained an additional distinction in his military career.

Charles H. Clausen died on August 15, 1922, at the age of 79. He was buried at Mount Peace Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his grave preserves his connection to the city of his birth and early military service.

His legacy is defined by his service with the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry and his bravery during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. From his initial enlistment as a corporal in 1861 to his later advancement to captain, Clausen served through some of the most demanding years of the American Civil War.

His courage on May 12, 1864, remains the central achievement of his military record. Severely wounded yet continuing to lead his regiment under enemy fire, Charles H. Clausen helped save an artillery battery from capture and earned a lasting place among the recipients of the United States Medal of Honor.