Charles D. Copp, a native of New Hampshire, was 22 years old when he answered the call to preserve the Union. Enlisting from Nashua, he joined Company C of the 9th New Hampshire Infantry during the summer of 1862. His regiment was quickly thrust into the heart of the conflict, arriving in Virginia just as the intensity of the war escalated.

By December 1862, Copp found himself on the blood-soaked fields of Fredericksburg. During a grueling assault against Confederate positions, the 9th New Hampshire came under devastating fire. The regiment’s color bearer—the soldier responsible for holding the flag that served as a visual lighthouse for the troops—was shot down. In the chaos of battle, the loss of the colors often led to a total collapse of morale and formation.

Seeing the flag fall, Second Lieutenant Copp disregarded his own safety and rushed forward. He seized the regimental colors from the ground and, amidst a storm of heavy fire, waved them high to signal his comrades. His defiance and leadership provided the rallying point the men needed to reform and hold their ground. For this act of conspicuous gallantry, he was later awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration.