William D. Edwards
Born1849
Brooklyn, New York, United States
DiedJanuary 24, 1903(1903-01-24) (aged 54)
Washington, D.C.
Place of burial
United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of servicec. 1875–1878
RankFirst Sergeant
Unit7th U.S. Infantry
Battles/warsIndian Wars
Nez Perce War
AwardsMedal of Honor

William D. Edwards (1849 – January 24, 1903) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 7th U.S. Infantry during the Indian Wars. A participant in the Nez Perce War, he was one of six men who received the Medal of Honor for bravery against Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce at the Battle of Big Hole on August 9, 1877.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Biography

William D. Edwards was born in Brooklyn, New York[9][10] in 1849. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to frontier duty with the 7th U.S. Infantry. Stationed at Fort Missoula, fought in several campaigns against Indians during the mid-1870s. He won particular distinction in the Nez Perce War and, on August 9, 1877, was cited for "bravery in action" against Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce at the Battle of Big Hole. He was among of six soldiers who received the Medal of Honor, the other men being Sergeants Patrick Rogan and Milden Wilson, Privates Wilfred Clark and Lorenzo Brown, and musician John McLennon, on December 2, 1878.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Edwards died on January 24, 1903, at the age of 54. He was interred at the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, DC.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company F, 7th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Big Hole, Mont., August 9, 1877. Entered service at:------. Birth: Brooklyn, N.Y. Date of issue: December 2, 1878.

Citation:

Bravery in action.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. (pg. 281, 1036)
  2. 1 2 Manning, Robert, ed. Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985. (pg. 325) ISBN 0-939526-19-0
  3. 1 2 Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 396) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
  4. 1 2 O'Neal, Bill. Fighting Men of the Indian Wars: A Biographical Encyclopedia of the Mountain Men, Soldiers, Cowboys, and Pioneers Who Took Up Arms During America's Westward Expansion. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Barbed Wire Press, 1991. (pg. 32) ISBN 0-935269-07-X
  5. 1 2 Wilson, D. Ray. Terror on the Plains: A Clash of Cultures. Dundee, Illinois: Crossroads Communications, 1999. (pg. 211) ISBN 0-916445-47-X
  6. 1 2 Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 239) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
  7. 1 2 Greene, Jerome A. Nez Perce Summer, 1877: The US Army and the Nee-Me-Poo Crisis. Helena: Montana Historical Society, 2001. (pg. 161) ISBN 0-917298-82-9
  8. 1 2 Haines, Aubrey L. The Battle of the Big Hole: The Story of the Landmark Battle of the 1877 Nez Perce War. 2nd ed. Guilford, Connecticut: Globe Pequot Press, 2006. (pg. 120) ISBN 0-7627-4148-1
  9. 1 2 3 Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for William Edwards". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: William D. Edwards". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
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