Lorenzo Dow Immell

Showed bravery under fire with the guns at Wilson's Creek!

Lorenzo Dow Immell was a United States Army artilleryman and Medal of Honor recipient whose actions at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, on August 10, 1861, earned him recognition for bravery under enemy fire. Serving as a Corporal in Battery F of the 2nd U.S. Artillery, he rescued artillery equipment and disabled guns during the fighting. He later continued his Civil War service as a commissioned officer, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant.

Immell was born on June 18, 1837, in Ross County, Ohio. His parents were Jacob Immell and Mary Ann Siberell. His family history was subsequently recorded in an 1885 genealogy of the Parthemore family, which documented several generations of his relatives and descendants.

In August 1860, Immell enlisted in the Regular United States Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory. He became a member of Company F, 2nd U.S. Artillery, an organization that served with Federal forces in Missouri during the opening months of the American Civil War.

By August 1861, Immell held the rank of Corporal and served with the artillery commanded by Captain James Totten. His battery accompanied the Union forces operating under Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon near Springfield, Missouri.

On August 10, 1861, Union and Southern forces met at Wilson's Creek. The engagement developed into a prolonged battle in which artillery played an important role. Immell's unit came under heavy enemy fire, and several artillery horses were killed or wounded, leaving guns and ammunition vehicles in danger of being abandoned.

During the fighting, Immell took action to recover equipment that other soldiers had been unable to remove from the battlefield. His conduct was later described by two comrades, William T. Williams and John Kelly, whose testimony was preserved in records associated with his Medal of Honor.

Williams recalled seeing Immell advance into the exposed ground between the opposing lines to rescue the caisson belonging to Corporal Writtenberry's artillery piece. The lead team of horses had been killed, leaving the ammunition vehicle disabled and its drivers unable to move it.

Immell approached the abandoned equipment while enemy fire continued. He cut the harness connecting the dead horses to the surviving team, mounted one of the remaining horses, and succeeded in removing the caisson from its dangerous position.

Williams remembered that Union soldiers cheered as Immell brought the vehicle back toward their lines.

His actions did not end with the recovery of the caisson.

Another artillery piece had become immobilized after one of its horses was shot. The gun was also caught against a small tree, preventing its removal. Immell found a mule to replace the disabled horse, used an axe to cut away the obstruction, and helped recover the gun.

John Kelly's testimony confirmed the recovery of the caisson and described Immell's efforts to save a six-pounder artillery piece. Kelly also recalled that Immell had suffered wounds during the engagement but continued working to rescue the equipment.

Williams further testified that Immell advanced under enemy fire to recover a horse belonging to the opposing forces. He remembered Captain Totten praising Immell's conduct and expressing his intention to see that the young corporal received recognition.

The official Medal of Honor citation later summarized Immell's actions at Wilson's Creek as bravery in action. The eyewitness accounts provide a more detailed record of the specific deeds that led to his recognition.

Immell continued serving after Wilson's Creek. In 1862, he was discharged from the 2nd U.S. Artillery but subsequently returned to Union military service with the 1st Missouri Light Artillery, receiving a commission as a Second Lieutenant.

Missouri's official military records identify his Second Lieutenant appointment with an effective date of January 16, 1863. He initially served with Company H before transferring to Company G.

On August 31, 1863, Immell was promoted to First Lieutenant in Company G of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery. This became his highest rank established by the surviving official military records.

His subsequent duties extended beyond a single artillery battery. Military historical records identify him as having commanded Battery G of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery, the 12th Wisconsin Battery, and the 6th Ohio Battery during the war.

Immell also performed temporary staff assignments connected with the artillery forces of the IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland. These included service as acting assistant adjutant general of an artillery brigade and acting inspector of artillery for the corps.

These appointments reflected the responsibilities he received during his continued wartime service, but they were distinct from his confirmed substantive rank of First Lieutenant.

Immell remained in the volunteer service through the final months of the Civil War. The Missouri Adjutant General's published officer roster records that he was mustered out on July 28, 1865, bringing his documented military service to a close.

Following the war, Immell settled in Franklin County, Missouri, where he established himself in agriculture and business.

On January 6, 1866, he married Libbie Frances Bell. After her death in March 1870, he married Caroline Remple on July 25, 1870. She died in August 1874, and Immell subsequently married Julia Rodus on February 9, 1875. Their family relationships and children were documented in the Parthemore family genealogy published in 1885.

By the late 1870s, Immell had become involved in the agricultural economy of central Missouri. An 1878 biographical account described his work in farming and the distribution of improved seeds and agricultural equipment.

He operated a business selling agricultural implements in Washington, Missouri, and served as a director of the Franklin County Fair Association. The same contemporary account described his involvement in selecting agricultural products and other Missouri resources for exhibition at the United States Centennial Exposition.

Immell also maintained connections with former Union soldiers. He became associated with Ransom Post No. 131 of the Grand Army of the Republic in St. Louis, an organization through which Civil War veterans commemorated their military service.

On July 19, 1890, nearly twenty-nine years after the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Immell received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 10, 1861.

The award formally recognized the bravery he had demonstrated as a Corporal in the 2nd U.S. Artillery. His efforts to recover artillery equipment while exposed to enemy fire remained the defining achievement of his military career.

Lorenzo Dow Immell died in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 31, 1912, at the age of seventy-five. He was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri, in Section 4, Grave 12342.

His military record documents a career that began in the Regular Army before the Civil War and continued through commissioned service in the Union artillery. His actions at Wilson's Creek, preserved through eyewitness testimony and recognized with the Medal of Honor, remain a documented example of individual bravery during the opening months of the conflict.