Marcus Robbins

Marcus Morton Robbins (July 25, 1851 – June 21, 1924) served in the United States Army during the American Indian Wars. He received the Medal of Honor.

Marcus M. Robbins
Circular portrait of a white man with a mustache wearing a military jacket with two medals pinned to the chest.
Marcus M. Robbins, Medal of Honor recipient
Born(1851-07-25)July 25, 1851
Elba, Wisconsin
DiedJune 21, 1924(1924-06-21) (aged 72)
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Place of burial
Pittsfield Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
RankPrivate
Unit6th United States Cavalry
Battles/warsAmerican Indian Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

Robbins was a resident of Elba, Wisconsin. He died at his daughter's home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on June 21, 1924, and was buried in Pittsfield Cemetery.[1][2]

Army service

Robbins served as a private in the Sixth U.S. Cavalry, fighting in the American Indian Wars

On April 23, 1875, Robbins and five other soldiers snuck up behind a band of Cheyenne warriors and attacked them from the rear at the Battle at Sappa Creek in Kansas. He received a Medal of Honor for these actions on November 16, 1876.[3] Several other members of his company also received medals for their role in the battle. Richard Longstreth Tea, Frederick Platten, James Lowthers, Simpson Hornaday, and Peter W. Gardiner made up the rest of the expedition around the Cheyenne lines, and all received the Medal of Honor. Michael Dawson and James F. Ayers also were a part of the battle, and also were awarded the Medal of Honor.[4] The engagement was part of the Red River War.

Twentieth-century commentators have questioned the role of the Sixth Cavalry at Sappa Creek, with some calling it a "massacre."[5]

Medal of Honor

His award citation reads:

With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.[6]

The medal itself was out of possession of Robbins' family for many years, until it was returned to them in 2009.[7]

See also

References
Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. "Medal of Honor Recipients". Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  2. "Marcus Morton Robbins". The Berkshire Eagle. June 21, 1924. p. 3. Retrieved March 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. J. Brett Cruse, et al. Battles of the Red River War: archeological perspectives on the Indian at 162.
  4. Walter Frederick Beyer, et al. Deeds of Valor. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel, 1906. p. 196
  5. John H. Monnett, Massacre at Cheyenne Hole: Lieutenant Austin Henely and the Sappa Creek, 1999. ("[I]ntimations surfaced that the Sappa Creek fight was a massacre of the Cheyennes under Little Bull who attempted to surrender.")
  6. "Medal of Honor Recipients: Indian Wars Period". United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  7. Connor Berry. "A Majestic Medal" Berkshire Eagle December 5, 2009
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