Joseph H. De Castro

He Struck With a Flagstaff—and Seized Enemy Colors

He struck with a flagstaff—and seized enemy colors during one of the most decisive moments of the American Civil War. On July 3, 1863, as Confederate troops launched their desperate assault against the Union lines at Gettysburg, Corporal Joseph H. De Castro of the 19th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry performed an extraordinary act of courage. Carrying his regiment's Massachusetts state colors, he confronted an advancing Confederate flag bearer, captured the enemy's battle flag, and returned with both standards. His actions earned him the Medal of Honor and established his place in American military history as the first Hispanic American to receive the nation's highest decoration for valor.

Joseph H. De Castro was born on November 14, 1844, in Boston, Massachusetts, into a family of Spanish heritage. His early years were marked by personal hardship. When he was approximately fourteen years old, his father died of tuberculosis, leaving the young De Castro facing considerable difficulties. His troubled adolescence eventually led to his placement at the Massachusetts State Reform School in Westborough, an institution known for its harsh disciplinary practices.

De Castro spent only a short period at the institution before being released in 1861 following an investigation. He subsequently worked as a waiter, earning a living as the United States descended into the crisis that would become the Civil War. Although his early circumstances offered little indication of the military distinction awaiting him, the outbreak of hostilities provided an opportunity to begin a new chapter in his life.

Following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to defend the Union. De Castro answered that call, joining the 19th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in the summer of 1861. Still only sixteen years old, he entered military service at a time when thousands of young Americans were volunteering for a conflict whose duration and human cost remained impossible to predict.

The 19th Massachusetts Infantry became part of the Army of the Potomac, the principal Union field army operating in the Eastern Theater. The regiment participated in demanding operations against Confederate forces in Virginia and Maryland, enduring the hardships of campaigning, repeated engagements, and substantial casualties.

During 1862, the regiment served in the Peninsula Campaign, General George B. McClellan's attempt to advance toward Richmond, the Confederate capital. Union troops faced difficult terrain, severe weather, disease, and determined Confederate resistance. The regiment subsequently participated in the Battle of Antietam in September 1862 and the Battle of Fredericksburg that December, two engagements that demonstrated the devastating consequences of Civil War infantry combat.

Throughout his military service, De Castro developed experience as an infantryman and eventually received promotion to Corporal. He also served as a color bearer, a responsibility of considerable importance and danger. Regimental flags were essential symbols of military identity, helping soldiers recognize their formations and maintain their positions amid the confusion of battle.

Carrying the colors required exceptional courage. A flag bearer occupied a highly visible position and often became a target for opposing soldiers seeking to capture the regiment's standard. Nevertheless, maintaining the colors was essential to the morale and cohesion of the unit. De Castro's willingness to perform this responsibility would become central to his most celebrated act of battlefield heroism.

In the summer of 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania, hoping to shift the fighting onto Northern territory and achieve a major victory over Union forces. The opposing armies met near Gettysburg on July 1, beginning a three-day battle that would become one of the most significant engagements in American history.

The 19th Massachusetts Infantry served with the Union II Corps, defending the Army of the Potomac's central position near Cemetery Ridge. After two days of intense fighting, Lee ordered a major assault against the Union center on July 3, believing that a concentrated infantry attack might break the Federal line.

The assault, remembered as Pickett's Charge, involved thousands of Confederate soldiers advancing across open ground toward the Union positions. Federal artillery and musket fire inflicted devastating casualties as the attackers approached Cemetery Ridge. Nevertheless, portions of the Confederate force reached the Union defenses, where fierce fighting developed at close range.

During this critical moment, Corporal De Castro stood with the 19th Massachusetts Infantry, carrying the Massachusetts state colors. As Confederate soldiers pressed toward the Union line, he confronted an advancing enemy flag bearer. Rather than surrender his position or abandon his standard, De Castro used the staff of his own flag as a weapon against the Confederate soldier.

He struck his opponent, seized the falling enemy colors, and returned toward his regiment while retaining the Massachusetts flag. The captured standard belonged to the 19th Virginia Infantry, one of the Confederate regiments participating in the assault.

Colonel Arthur F. Devereux, commanding the 19th Massachusetts Infantry, later described the remarkable incident in an account of the battle. He recalled De Castro suddenly appearing through the Union lines carrying a captured Confederate flag, delivering the trophy, and immediately returning to his duties. The episode demonstrated De Castro's quick judgment and exceptional bravery during one of the most dangerous moments of the engagement.

The capture of an enemy battle flag carried enormous military significance during the Civil War. Regimental colors represented the honor, identity, and fighting spirit of a unit. Losing them to the enemy was a serious symbolic defeat, while capturing an opposing regiment's colors was regarded as a distinguished battlefield achievement.

De Castro's courageous action occurred as Union forces successfully resisted the Confederate assault. Pickett's Charge ended in devastating losses for the attacking troops, and Lee's army was forced to retreat from Gettysburg. The Union victory became a turning point in the war, ending the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania and strengthening Northern confidence.

Although the battle had concluded, De Castro's military service continued. The 19th Massachusetts Infantry remained active in subsequent Union campaigns, and its soldiers continued to face the hardships of military operations in Virginia.

His exceptional conduct at Gettysburg eventually received formal recognition. On December 1, 1864, Joseph H. De Castro was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing the flag of the 19th Virginia Infantry during the fighting on July 3, 1863.

The Medal of Honor had been established during the Civil War to recognize extraordinary military courage and distinguished service. De Castro's award acknowledged his willingness to confront an enemy flag bearer during intense combat and secure a valuable battlefield trophy while continuing to protect his own regiment's colors.

On December 6, 1864, Major General George G. Meade personally presented De Castro with the Medal of Honor during a review of the II Corps near Petersburg, Virginia. The ceremony recognized a soldier whose individual act of bravery had distinguished him during one of the Union Army's most important victories.

His recognition was historically significant beyond the battlefield itself. De Castro is widely recognized as the first Hispanic American to receive the Medal of Honor, making his achievement an important part of the history of Hispanic military service in the United States.

Following the Civil War, De Castro continued his connection with the military. In 1870, he enlisted in the 6th United States Cavalry and served in the American West. This period represented a different phase of his military career, as the regular Army operated across a rapidly changing frontier. He remained with the cavalry for approximately four years before returning to civilian life.

During his military career, De Castro ultimately attained the rank of Sergeant, reflecting his continued service beyond the Corporal's rank he held during his Medal of Honor action at Gettysburg.

After leaving military service, De Castro returned to civilian employment. In 1882, he married Rosalia Rodriguez, and the couple established their home in New York City. He subsequently worked in connection with the city's barge operations, contributing to the commercial and transportation activities of a rapidly expanding urban center.

De Castro also maintained strong connections with fellow Civil War veterans. He became involved with the Phil Kearny Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization dedicated to preserving the fellowship of Union veterans, commemorating military service, and supporting former soldiers and their families.

Joseph H. De Castro died at his home in New York City on May 8, 1892, at the age of forty-seven. He was buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey, where his final resting place preserves the memory of his distinguished military service.

His legacy remains inseparable from the Battle of Gettysburg and the dramatic Confederate assault against Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863. At a moment when the outcome of the fighting depended upon the determination of individual soldiers, De Castro defended his regiment's colors and captured those of an attacking Confederate unit.

The Medal of Honor awarded to Joseph H. De Castro stands as an enduring tribute to his courage, sacrifice, and service to the United States. As the first Hispanic American recognized with the nation's highest military decoration for valor, his story also represents an important chapter in the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the country's military history. His actions at Gettysburg continue to demonstrate how one soldier's courage can become part of a nation's lasting historical legacy.