William Evans (Medal of Honor)
William Evans | |
|---|---|
 An illustration of Corporal William Evans after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. | |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1875–1881 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | 7th U.S. Infantry |
| Battles / wars | Indian Wars Black Hills War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
William Evans (1851 – August 27, 1881) was an Irish-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 7th U.S. Infantry during the Black Hills War. He participated in campaigns against the Sioux in the Montana Territory and, at Big Horn from July 9–14, 1876, volunteered to deliver critical dispatches between Generals George Crook and Alfred Terry. He later received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Biography
William Evans was born in Annagh, Ireland, in 1851. He later emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army in St. Louis, Missouri[15][16] on April 26, 1875. From there, Evans went to Newport, Kentucky where he was sent to the frontier with the 7th U.S. Infantry. Within a year, he would take part in actions against the Sioux in the Montana Territory during the Black Hills War. In the aftermath of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, he and two other soldiers, Pvts. Benjamin F. Stewart and James Bell, volunteered to carry important dispatches between Generals George Crook and Alfred Terry. There had been two previous attempts to get messages though, both unsuccessful, and Evans and his comrades had to pass through 100 miles of territory occupied by an estimated 2,000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. Between July 9–14, 1876, they traveled back and forth from Crook and Terry's camps. Hiding during the day and traveling at night, they were able to safely avoid Sioux war parties. For their courageous actions, all three men received the Medal of Honor.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Evans remained in the military, reenlisting at Camp Baker on November 2, 1878 and promoted to the rank of corporal on November 30, 1880.[1][2] He died in St. Louis, Missouri on August 27, 1881, at age 30. He was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 7th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Big Horn, Mont., 9 July 1876. Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 2 December 1876.
Citation:
Carried dispatches to Brig. Gen. Crook through a country occupied by Sioux.[17]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Rodenbough, Theo F., ed. Uncle Sam's Medal of Honor: Some of the Noble Deeds For Which the Medal Has Been Awarded, Described By Those Who Have Won It, 1861–1866. New York and London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1886. (pg. 306)
- ^ a b c Rodenbough, Theo F., ed. Sabre and Bayonet: Stories of Heroism and Military Adventure. New York: G.W. Dillingham & Co., 1897. (pg. 311)
- ^ a b 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. 325)
- ^ a b Dustin, Fred. The Custer Tragedy: Events Leading Up To and Following the Little Big Horn Campaign of 1876. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, 1939. (pg. 231)
- ^ a b Rickey, Don. Forty Miles a Day on Beans and Hay: The Enlisted Soldier Fighting the Indian Wars. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1963. (pg. 306) ISBN 0-8061-1113-5
- ^ a b Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 267) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
- ^ a b 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 0-935-26907-X
- ^ a b Carroll, John M., ed. They Rode with Custer: A Biographical Directory of the Men That Rode with General George A. Custer. Mattituck, New York: J.M. Carroll & Company, 1993.
- ^ a b Sarf, Wayne Michael. The Little Bighorn Campaign: March–September 1876. New York: Da Capo Press, 1999. ISBN 1-58097-025-7
- ^ a b Hedren, Paul L. We Trailed the Sioux: Enlisted Men Speak on Custer, Crook, and the Great Sioux War. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2003. (pg. 33) ISBN 0-8117-0062-3
- ^ a b Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 212) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
- ^ a b 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. 141) ISBN 0-7864-2936-4
- ^ a b Thompson, Peter. Thompson's Narrative of the Little Big Horn. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Cross Publications, 2007. (pg. 95) ISBN 0-9771926-4-4
- ^ a b Fredriksen, John C. The United States Army: A Chronology, 1775 to the Present. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2010. (pg. 214) ISBN 1-59884-344-3
- ^ a b c Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for William Evans". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com.
- ^ a b c Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: William Evans". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com.
- ^ "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
External links
- "William Evans". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 29, 2010.