George H. Eldridge

George H. Eldridge (May 12, 1844 – November 20, 1918) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War and the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Texas–Indian Wars. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry fighting the Kiowa Indians and Chief Kicking Bird at the Battle of the Little Wichita River on July 12, 1870.

Not to be confused with American character actor George Eldredge.

George H. Eldridge
Born(1844-05-12)May 12, 1844
Sackets Harbor, New York, United States
DiedNovember 20, 1918(1918-11-20) (aged 74)
Los Angeles, California
Place of burial
Los Angeles National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Union
Service/branchUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of servicec. 1861–1871
RankSergeant
Unit6th U.S. Cavalry
24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
Indian Wars
Texas–Indian Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

Biography

George H. Eldridge was born in Sackets Harbor, New York on May 12, 1844. He later moved to Michigan where, at the start of the American Civil War, he joined the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry which along with the 2nd, 6th and 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry regiments, would form the "Iron Brigade" of the Army of the Potomac. Eldridge returned to military service years later when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in Detroit and was assigned to the 6th U.S. Cavalry. He took part in campaigns against the Plains Indians during the Texas-Indian Wars, most notably, against the Kiowa in the late-1860s. On July 6, 1870, he was among the cavalrymen under Captain Curwen B. McClelland who left Fort Richardson (near Jacksboro, Texas) to pursue renegade Indians who had seized mail from nearby Rock Station. After a 5-day chase, McClelland's force was ambushed at Wichita River by a force of 250 warriors under Chief Kicking Bird resulting in the Battle of the Little Wichita River. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the cavalry troopers managed to force the Kiowas to retreat after heavy fighting. After returning to Fort Richardson, Eldridge and 12 other soldiers were received the Medal of Honor for "gallantry in action" on August 25, 1870.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] He died in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1918, and was interred at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.[5]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wichita River, Tex., July 12, 1870. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Sacketts Harbor, N.Y. Date of issue: August 25, 1870.

Citation:

Gallantry in action.[10]

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. 159)
  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)
  3. Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 267, 396) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
  4. 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. 27) ISBN 0-935269-07-X
  5. Holt, Dean W. American Military Cemeteries: A Comprehensive Illustrated Guide to the Hallowed Grounds of the United States, including Cemeteries Overseas. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1992. (pg. 236) ISBN 0-89950-666-6
  6. Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 159) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
  7. Nunnally, Michael L. American Indian Wars: A Chronology of Confrontations Between Native Peoples and Settlers and the United States Military, 1500s-1901. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2007. (pg. 125) ISBN 0-7864-2936-4
  8. Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for George Eldridge". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  9. Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: George H. Eldridge". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  10. "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.

Further reading
  • "Local Man On Roll of Honor. Notable Distinction for Old Indian Fighter; In Recognition of Bravery Half a Century Ago; Warned of Redskins' Attack and Saved Comrades. Honors His After Nearly Fifty Years". Los Angeles Times. October 8, 1916.
  • Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81170-7
  • Neal, Charles M. Valor Across the Lone Star: The Congressional Medal of Honor in Frontier Texas. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 2003. ISBN 0-87611-184-3
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