b. 30/01/1845 Northampton, Pennsylvania. d. 07/07/1890 Bluff, Illinois.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 12/05/1865 Fort Gregg, Virginia.
Andrew O Apple MOH
Born on January 30, 1845, at Northampton, Pennsylvania, Andrew O. Apple was a son of Pennsylvania natives David and Matilda Apple. In 1850, he resided in Easton, Northampton County, where his father was employed as a distiller. Apple fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War. After enrolling at the age of 17 at New Cumberland, West Virginia, on in August 1862, he then officially mustered in as a private with Company I of the 12th West Virginia Infantry, he was promoted to the rank of corporal sometime before April 1865.
Apple’s Regiment were heavily involved in many of the skirmishes and major battles of the war. On April 2, 1865, during the Third Battle of Petersburg, Andrew Apple would perform the act of gallantry which led to the Medal of Honor. When interviewed post-war, Andrew described his actions as “about noon April 2, 1865, while the operations were being carried on in front of Petersburg, after the works of Forts Gregg and Whitworth had been assaulted for six hours, General Ord attacked Fort Gregg with three brigades. We came from the left of the line and took the fort after a terrific struggle, during which there was no time to reload our muskets after first discharging them, and the greater number of us were forced to use our bayonets during the entire assault.”
Apple received his Medal of Honor on May 12, 1865 in Richmond, Virginia. Following his discharge from the Army, he returned to Pennsylvania though in 1868, in search of a better life, he moved to Illinois. There he settled in Elgin where he worked as a bartender in a hotel. He met his future wife, Mary Prabst, who was the daughter of the owners. They were married in 1869 and had six children. In the 1870s he changed careers and became a fireman. In 1889 he became Elgin’s Chief Fire Marshal. Sadly in later life, he was diagnosed with Bright’s Disease, which causes inflammation of the kidneys. He died in 1890 at the age of just 45 from complications from the condition, and was buried in Bluff’s City Cemetery in Elgin.
MOH CITATION:
Conspicuous gallantry as color bearer in the assault on Fort Gregg.
BURIAL LOCATION: BLUFF CITY CEMETERY, ELGIN, ILLINOIS.
SECTION 4, LOT 166 SPACE 1
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
