Arrested and Unarmed, He Led a Cavalry Charge and Became the First Italian-American Medal of Honor Recipient
On June 17, 1863, Col. Luigi Palma di Cesnola was forced to watch his men get slaughtered near the village of Aldie, Virginia. Just hours earlier, his superior officer had placed him under arrest for protesting the promotion of a less experienced officer. His saber and sidearm had been stripped away. But the 30-year-old Italian […]