Henry S . Huidekoper Henry Shippen Huidekoper ( July 17 , 1839 – November 9 , 1918 ) was a general from Pennsylvania in Union Army who received the United States military ' s highest decorations for bravery , the Medal of Honor , for his actions during the American Civil War . After graduating from Harvard , he accepted a commission as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War . While fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg , he was wounded twice and had to have his arm amputated due to the wounds . For his actions during this battle , he was presented with the Medal of Honor . He attempted to rejoin the war , but was forced to resign due to his injuries , and accepted an appointment as a major general in the Pennsylvania National Guard instead . In 1877 Huidekoper was sent to help put an end to a severe railroad strike in Pennsylvania . He accepted a job as the postmaster of Philadelphia and worked for a few years in the telephone industry before becoming an overseer at Harvard College . He died in 1918 and is buried in Meadville , Pennsylvania . Family and education . Huidekoper was born in Meadville , Pennsylvania on July 17 , 1839 , the son of Edgar Huidekoper and Frances ( Shippen ) Huidekoper and the grandson of Harm Jan Huidekoper ( the founder of Meadville Theological School ) . He received his B . A . from Harvard College in 1862 , and received his Master of Arts from the same college in 1872 . In 1864 Huidekoper married his cousin , Emma Gertrude Evans , the daughter of Thomas Wallis Evans and Anne De Costa Yard Evans of Germantown , Philadelphia . They had one daughter , Gertrude , born in 1865 , who later married Professor Munroe Smith of Columbia University , and one son , Thomas , born in 1870 . His great - great - granddaughter is Meg Whitman , former CEO of eBay and candidate for Governor of California . Civil War and National Guard . After graduating from Harvard , Huidekoper served in the American Civil War as captain , lieutenant - colonel , and colonel with the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry . On July 1 , 1863 , while in command of his regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg , he was wounded twice , losing his right arm . He later received the Medal of Honor as a result of the action that day . According to the citation , " while engaged in repelling an attack of the enemy , [ he ] received a severe wound of the right arm , but instead of retiring remained at the front in command of the regiment . " Huidekoper returned to service in September 1863 but because of the severity of his wounds , he was compelled to resign from the army in 1864 at Culpeper , Virginia . He was appointed major general in the Pennsylvania National Guard by Governor John W . Geary in 1870 . He helped suppress the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 under Governor John F . Hartranft , " solving at Scranton a question between the civil and military powers with such tact and firmness as to establish himself strongly in the confidence of the governor and the people . " Later career . Upon reorganization of the National Guard , with Governor Hartranft as the major general , Huidekoper was appointed the senior brigadier general in the Guard . In 1879 , he compiled and published a Manual of Service , which became an accepted authority on military matters . From 1880 to 1886 , he was postmaster of Philadelphia , where he was credited with having organized and carried through the ounce measure for letters , instead of the former half ounce . Afterward he was employed by the Metropolitan Telephone and Telegraph Company from 1886 to 1887 , and by the Bell Telephone Company from 1887 to 1913 . From 1898 to 1910 , Huidekoper served as one of the overseers of Harvard College . He died November 9 , 1918 in a Philadelphia hospital and was buried at Greendale Cemetery , Meadville , Pennsylvania . His grave can be found in the mausoleum in section 2 , lot 5 . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Lieutenant Colonel , 150th Pennsylvania Infantry . Place and date : At Gettysburg , Pa . , 1 July 1863 . Entered service at : Philadelphia , Pa . Born : 17 July 1839 , Meadville , Pa . Date of issue : 27 May 1905 . Citation : While engaged in repelling an attack of the enemy , received a severe wound of the right arm , but instead of retiring remained at the front in command of the regiment .