Philip G. Shadrach

Philip Gephart Shadrach (or Shadrack) was an American soldier who was executed in 1862 for his participation in the Great Locomotive Chase. As a result of his involvement, he was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor by President Joseph Biden on July 3, 2024.

Early life
Shadrach was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, on September 15, 1840. He enlisted as a private with Company "K" of the 2nd Ohio Infantry Regiment for three years on September 20, 1861, at a place called the Mitchell Salt Works in Ohio. He enlisted as "Charles P. (Perry) Shadrach".

Andrews Raid
On April 12, 1862, Shadrach participated in the Andrews Raid, otherwise known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The participants' goal was to sabotage railways to prevent Confederate soldiers stationed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from receiving supplies.

Shadrach was hanged alongside Samuel Robertson, John Morehead Scott, Samuel Slavens, and George Davenport Wilson in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 18, 1862. However, unlike Robertson, Scott, and Slavens, Shadrach and George Wilson were not posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor for their roles in the raid. In 2008, President George W. Bush signed legislation to authorize himself to award the Medal of Honor to Shadrach and Wilson. He and Wilson were finally awarded the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024 by President Joseph Biden.