Charles W. Brouse

He Stood Above Enemy Fire Until He Fell Wounded

Charles W. Brouse was an American Union Army officer who received the United States Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery during the American Civil War. Serving as a captain in Company K of the 100th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Brouse distinguished himself at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee, on November 25, 1863. While his soldiers sheltered behind slight earthworks under intense enemy fire, he refused to take cover and instead walked along the exposed top of their defensive position to encourage them. He continued this dangerous display of leadership until he was severely wounded. His actions earned him the nation's highest military decoration more than thirty-five years later.

Born in 1839 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Brouse grew up in a community that would contribute soldiers and resources to the Union Army during the Civil War. Details of his childhood, education, and family circumstances remain limited in the surviving biographical accounts. His documented military history establishes his service as an officer in an Indiana volunteer infantry regiment.

On September 24, 1862, Brouse received a commission as captain of Company K of the 100th Indiana Infantry. The regiment had been organized during the expansion of Union military forces and subsequently participated in operations in the western theater of the war.

As a company commander, Brouse was responsible for leading his soldiers, maintaining discipline, and carrying out orders during military operations. His position required him to direct men in circumstances where decisions made under fire could affect the safety and effectiveness of the entire company.

The 100th Indiana Infantry became part of the Union forces operating in Tennessee and the surrounding region. During 1863, Union and Confederate armies fought for control of Chattanooga, an important transportation center whose location made it strategically valuable to both sides.

Following the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, Confederate forces occupied commanding positions overlooking Chattanooga. Union troops remained in and around the city while commanders prepared operations to break the Confederate hold over the surrounding heights.

The Chattanooga Campaign culminated in several engagements during November 1863. On November 25, Union forces attacked Confederate positions on Missionary Ridge, a long, elevated defensive line east of the city.

Brouse was serving with Company K of the 100th Indiana Infantry when he performed the action that would later earn him the Medal of Honor.

During the battle, his soldiers came under severe enemy fire. Brouse ordered his men to lie down, allowing them to take advantage of the limited protection provided by slight earthworks.

The defensive position offered some shelter from the incoming fire, but the danger remained substantial. The soldiers faced the immediate threat of Confederate weapons as the fighting continued around them.

Although Brouse had instructed his men to remain low for their protection, he refused to do the same.

Instead, he walked along the top of the earthworks, deliberately exposing himself to enemy fire while encouraging the soldiers under his command.

His decision placed him in a far more vulnerable position than the men sheltering behind the defenses. By remaining visible and moving along the exposed works, he demonstrated his determination to maintain their confidence during the engagement.

Brouse continued encouraging his soldiers despite the danger. His official Medal of Honor citation records that he remained exposed until he fell severely wounded.

The recognized action was a direct example of leadership under fire. Brouse had ordered his men to seek protection while accepting a level of personal danger that he did not require them to share.

His conduct distinguished him during an engagement in which Union forces faced determined Confederate resistance and significant battlefield hazards.

The official citation identifies his refusal to take cover, his movement along the earthworks, and the serious wound he suffered as the essential circumstances of his Medal of Honor action.

The surviving citation does not specify the exact weapon that wounded him or provide a detailed account of the moments immediately following his injury. His documented bravery rests on his exposed position and his determination to encourage his soldiers while the fighting continued.

Historical recollections of the battle describe Brouse's wounds as exceptionally severe. An account later published in a Civil War memoir indicates that battlefield medical personnel initially believed he could not survive. The recollection states that he was found alive after approximately forty-eight hours and subsequently received treatment.

Brouse survived his injuries, although their effects contributed to the difficulties of his remaining military service.

The Battle of Missionary Ridge ended in a major Union victory. Confederate forces withdrew from their positions, and the success helped secure Chattanooga for the Union.

Brouse's personal contribution was recognized independently of the broader battle's outcome. His courage was demonstrated through his willingness to expose himself to danger while directing and encouraging his men.

Following the engagement, Brouse remained associated with the 100th Indiana Infantry. His documented military service ended on January 16, 1865, when he was discharged because of disability.

The discharge brought an end to his wartime military career, which had begun with his commission in September 1862. Captain remained his highest recorded military rank.

After leaving the Union Army, Brouse returned to civilian life. Detailed accounts of his occupation, family responsibilities, and activities during the decades following the Civil War remain limited in the available recipient histories.

Although his bravery had occurred in November 1863, formal recognition came many years later.

On May 16, 1899, Charles W. Brouse received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Missionary Ridge. The presentation occurred more than thirty-five years after the battle and formally acknowledged his exceptional courage as a Union Army captain.

His award preserved the account of a commander who placed himself in a position of extreme danger to encourage soldiers who were already under heavy enemy fire.

Brouse spent his later years in Indianapolis, Indiana. He died at his home on October 26, 1904, at the age of 64. A contemporary newspaper account attributed his death to heart disease.

He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, where his grave commemorates his military service and Medal of Honor recognition.

Charles W. Brouse's military legacy is closely connected to the 100th Indiana Infantry and the Battle of Missionary Ridge. His actions on November 25, 1863, demonstrated a form of battlefield courage rooted in personal example and responsibility for the soldiers under his command.

While his men remained under cover, Brouse deliberately stood exposed to enemy fire and continued encouraging them until he was seriously wounded.

His Medal of Honor, presented in 1899, preserves the recognition of that extraordinary act. Charles W. Brouse remains remembered as a Union Army captain whose bravery and leadership at Missionary Ridge earned him a lasting place among the recipients of America's highest military decoration.