J. Levi Roush (February 1, 1838 – February 12, 1906) was an American soldier who fought with the Union Army in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Roush received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

, for actions taken on July 2, 1863, during the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

Civil War service

At the onset of the American Civil War, Roush enlisted into Company D of the

6th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment The 6th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment also known as the 35th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army as part of the Pennsylvania Reserves Infantry Division during the American Civil War. Organizat ...

out of

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, in the South Central Pennsylvania, South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Gre ...

. This regiment was also known as the 35th Pennsylvania Infantry. Roush fought in many battles of the Civil War including the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, where he sustained a gunshot wound to the face, the

Battle of Malvern Hill The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, was fought on July 1, 1862, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. ...

, Battle of White House Landing,

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain, known in several early Southern United States, Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles ...

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

Battle of North Anna The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Army, Union Lieutenant General (United States), Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of North ...

Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

, and several others. On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Union forces had been forced to fall back due to the superior numbers of the opposing Confederate force. As more Union troops arrived to fight however the battle started to shift. In an area known as Devil's Den, Roush, along with Thaddeus S. Smith,

John W. Hart John William Hart (July 30, 1833 – June 2, 1907) was a soldier from Maryland who fought in the American Civil War. He received the United States' highest medal for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Battle of Ge ...

, George Mears,

Chester S. Furman Chester S. Furman (February 14, 1842 – July 22, 1910) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for valor during the American Civil War. Biography Furman joined the 6th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment, 6th Pennsylvania Reserves i ...

and Wallace Johnson volunteered to attack a small log cabin being held by Confederate forces. Although they attempted to approach the cabin by stealth, they were spotted and began taking fire from the enemy force locked inside. Roush and the other men rushed through the enemy fire and forced their way into the cabin. Before they could start shooting, the Confederate soldiers surrendered and were taken back to Union lines as prisoners. For their actions during this incident, all six men received the Medal of Honor. Roush left the service with an honorable discharge on June 11, 1864.

Medal of Honor citation

Personal life

Following the war, Roush married Mary Wertzbarger with whom he had eight children. Roush died on February 12, 1906, in McKees Gap, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Saint Patricks Cemetery.

References

External links

J. Levi Roush on Find A Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roush, James Levi. 1838 births 1906 deaths American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor People from Bedford County, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War United States Army Medal of Honor recipients