Frederick William Fout

Remanned abandoned guns near Harpers Ferry

Frederick William Fout was born in Germany in 1840. He served as a second lieutenant in the 15th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery during the American Civil War.

Near Harpers Ferry on 15 September 1862, Fout voluntarily gathered the battery's men and remanned guns that an officer had ordered abandoned. He reopened fire and continued engaging the enemy until after the surrender. His Medal of Honor citation recognized this action.

Fout received the medal on 2 November 1896, with his award accredited to Indiana. He died in St. Louis, Missouri, on 6 June 1905 and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery there.

His citation preserves his effort to bring the artillery back into action at Harpers Ferry.

Medal of Honor citation

Voluntarily gathered the men of the battery together, remanned the guns, which had been ordered abandoned by an officer, opened fire, and kept up the same on the enemy until after the surrender.