Andrew J. Weaher

Private Andrew J. Weaher or Weaber (May 22, 1842 – August 27, 1920) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 8th U.S. Cavalry during the Apache Wars. He was one of 34 men received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in several engagements against the Apache Indians, specifically in the Black Mountains of Arizona, from August to October 1868.

Andrew J. Weaher
Born(1842-05-22)May 22, 1842
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
DiedAugust 27, 1920(1920-08-27) (aged 78)
Phoenix, Arizona
Place of burial
Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
Allegiance United States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of servicec. 1868–1869
RankPrivate
Unit8th U.S. Cavalry
Battles/warsIndian Wars
Apache Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor
Grave site of Andrew J. Weaher

Biography

Andrew J. Weaher (or Weaber) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 22, 1842, and enlisted in the United States Army there. He was assigned to frontier duty as a private with Company B of the 8th U.S. Cavalry Regiment and took part in the Apache Wars during the late 1860s. Weaher was among the 50 or 60 cavalry troopers ordered to secure settlements in the Arizona Territory and protect the region from Apache raiding parties during the late summer and fall of 1868. For a period of 90 days, from August 13 to October 31, 1868, he and other members of the 8th Cavalry faced the Apache in heavy fighting and often subjected to ambushes or sniper attacks from hidden ravines during their patrols. Winning distinction in battle against the Apache in Black Mountains, Weaher was among the thirty-four members of his regiment who were recommended for the Medal of Honor, officially cited for "bravery in scouts and actions against Indians",[1][2][3][4][5][6] and received the award the following summer in one of the largest Medal of Honor presentations at the time.[7] He died in Phoenix, Arizona on August 27, 1920, at the age of 78. He was the first of two MOH recipients to be interred in Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery along with Vietnam War hero Oscar Austin.[7]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, August to October 1868. Entered service at:--. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 24 July 1869.

Citation:

Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.[8]

See also

References
  1. Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. (pg. 145)
  2. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1973, 93rd Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1973. (pg. 329)
  3. Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 400) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
  4. Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 139) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
  5. Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for Andrew Weaher". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  6. Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: Andrew J. Weaher". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  7. Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "Photo of Grave site of MOH Recipient Andrew J. Weaher". Medal of Honor recipient Gravesites In The State of Arizona. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  8. "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
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