William Osborn (Medal of Honor)

William Osborn
Born1837
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
DiedMay 17, 1887(1887-05-17) (aged 50)
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. 1872–1875
RankSergeant
Unit1st U.S. Cavalry
Battles/warsIndian Wars
Apache Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

William Osborn or Osborne (1837 – May 17, 1887) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 1st U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars. He was one of several men who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during Lieutenant Colonel George Crook's "winter campaign" against the Apache Indians in the Arizona Territory during 1872 and 1873.

Biography

William Osborn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1837. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a member of the 1st U.S. Cavalry. He participated in the Indian Wars against the Plains Indians during the 1870s and eventually reached the rank of sergeant. During the Apache Wars, he served under Lieutenant Colonel George Crook in his "winter campaign" of 1872–73. He distinguished himself in several battles with the Apache in the Arizona Territory during this time and, on April 12, 1875, was among the members of his regiment to receive the Medal of Honor for "gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches".[1][2][3][4][5][6] Osborn died in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 1887, at the age of 50. He was interred at the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company M, 1st U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Winter of 1872–73. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Boston, Mass. Date of issue: 12 April 1875.

Citation:

Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. (pg. 307)
  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. ISBN 0-939526-19-0
  3. ^ 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. 28) ISBN 0-935269-07-X
  4. ^ Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 148) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
  5. ^ Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for William Osborn". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  6. ^ Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: William Osborne". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  7. ^ "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on August 3, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2009.

External links