Aquilla Coonrod
Encyclopedia
Aquilla Coonrod or Coonrad (1831 – May 14, 1884) was an American
soldier in the U.S. Army
who served with the 14th
, 48th
and 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
during the American Civil War
, and with the 7th U.S. Cavalry and the 5th U.S. Infantry during the Indian Wars
.
He participated in several engagements against the Sioux
in the Montana Territory
between 1876–77, most notably at Cedar Creek
and Wolf Mountain
, and received the Medal of Honor
for "extraordinary acts of heroism and gallantry in action" by General William T. Sherman. He was also the first known white child born in present-day Williams County, Ohio
and is one of two men from Williams County, the other being American Civil War
hero William J. Knight, to receive the award.
Coonrod later served with the 5th U.S. Infantry at Fort Buford
in Williams County, North Dakota
. In 1884, he and his men were escorting U.S Army paymaster Major Whipple and a large payroll shipment for various frontier outposts when they were attacked by a group of bandits. Although Coonrod was mortally wounded, his men drove off the bandits and successfully defended the shipment valued at $20,000. His body was originally interred at the Post Cemetery at Fort Buford and moved to the Custer National Cemetery near the Crow Agency in 1896.
in 1831. His parents were among the first settlers in Williams County
and Coonrod became the earliest known white child to be born in the area. His mother died less than a year after his birth and his father Woolery married Mary Coy in 1835. After his father's death in 1847, Coonrod lived with his stepmother until the start of the American Civil War
. He was among the first men in Williams County to volunteer for military service and enlisted with 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
on April 23, 1861. After his initial 90-day term ended, he joined the 48th
and 125th Ohio Infantry
eventually rising to the rank of captain. On May 9, 1864, he resigned his commission and took up farming in Pulaski Township
. Seven years later, he moved to Bryan, Ohio
where he worked at the Hub and Spoke factory.
In 1873, Coonrod returned to the military and served with the 7th U.S. Cavalry then commanded by Colonel George Armstrong Custer
. While with the 7th Cavalry, he was a sergeant
and regimental standard-bearer. Coonrod eventually became a member of the 5th U.S. Infantry. Between October 21, 1876 and January 8, 1877, he took part in General Nelson Miles "winter campaign" against the Sioux Indians in the Montana Territory
. In October 1876, Coonrod participated in actions against Chief Sitting Bull
at Cedar Creek
, and in April 1877, fought Crazy Horse
at Wolf Mountain
. He was one of 31 soldiers who received the Medal of Honor
for "extraordinary acts of heroism and gallantry in action" during this period. Commended for his bravery at Cedar Creek and other operations, Coonrod personally received his medal from General William T. Sherman, then Chief of Staff of the Army, on April 27, 1877. He and Civil War hero William J. Knight were the only two men from Williams County ever to receive the award.
Coonrad remained in the military until his death. In late-1877, he commanded the escort of Chief Joseph
, following his surrender to General Miles, from the Bear Paw Mountains
in Montana to Fort Buford
in the Dakota Territory
. He was later permanently assigned to Fort Buford. On May 14, 1884, he led a small escort guarding U.S Army paymaster Major Whipple and a $20,000 payroll shipment intended for Fort Buford and outlying frontier outposts. After leaving Glendive, Montana
, the escort was ambushed by seven bandits about 46 miles southwest of Fort Buford. Coonrod and his men were able to drive off the outlaws, however, Coonrod himself was shot twice in the abdomen and died of his wounds. His body was taken back to the Post Cemetery at Fort Buford where it was buried, then moved to the Custer National Cemetery near the Crow Agency in 1896.
Richard Cooley, a local historian in Bryan, published a biography of his life that was featured in the Williams County Historical Society newsletter in April 1991. In November 2003, a special plaque was displayed to commemorate both Coonrod and William J. Knight at the Williams County Courthouse in downtown Bryan. Both Coonrod and Knight were also profiled by The Bryan Times in 2003 and again in 2007.
Citation:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who served with the 14th
14th Ohio Infantry
The 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Three-months regiment:...
, 48th
48th Ohio Infantry
The 48th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 48th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio September through December 1861 and mustered in February 17, 1862 for three years service under the command...
and 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
125th Ohio Infantry
The 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 125th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio, and mustered in three years of service on October 6, 1862 under the command of colonel Emerson Opdycke.The...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and with the 7th U.S. Cavalry and the 5th U.S. Infantry during the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
.
He participated in several engagements against the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
in the Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
between 1876–77, most notably at Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek (1876)
The Battle of Cedar Creek occurred on October 21, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Sioux native Americans during the Great Sioux War of 1876....
and Wolf Mountain
Battle of Wolf Mountain
The Battle of Wolf Mountain, also known the Battle of the Wolf Mountains, Miles's Battle on the Tongue River, and the Battle of the Butte, occurred January 8, 1877 in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne during the Great Sioux War of...
, and received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for "extraordinary acts of heroism and gallantry in action" by General William T. Sherman. He was also the first known white child born in present-day Williams County, Ohio
Williams County, Ohio
Williams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 37,642. Its county seat is Bryan and is named for David Williams, one of the captors of John André in the American Revolutionary War.-Geography:According to the U.S...
and is one of two men from Williams County, the other being American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
hero William J. Knight, to receive the award.
Coonrod later served with the 5th U.S. Infantry at Fort Buford
Fort Buford
Fort Buford was a United States Army base at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in North Dakota, and the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881....
in Williams County, North Dakota
Williams County, North Dakota
-Major highways:* U.S. Highway 2* U.S. Highway 85* North Dakota Highway 40* North Dakota Highway 50* North Dakota Highway 1804-National protected areas:* Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site * Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge...
. In 1884, he and his men were escorting U.S Army paymaster Major Whipple and a large payroll shipment for various frontier outposts when they were attacked by a group of bandits. Although Coonrod was mortally wounded, his men drove off the bandits and successfully defended the shipment valued at $20,000. His body was originally interred at the Post Cemetery at Fort Buford and moved to the Custer National Cemetery near the Crow Agency in 1896.
Biography
Aquilla Coonrod was born to Woolery and Hulda Coonrod in Springfield Township, OhioSpringfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
Springfield Township is one of the twelve townships of Williams County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,958 people in the township, 841 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
in 1831. His parents were among the first settlers in Williams County
Williams County, Ohio
Williams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 37,642. Its county seat is Bryan and is named for David Williams, one of the captors of John André in the American Revolutionary War.-Geography:According to the U.S...
and Coonrod became the earliest known white child to be born in the area. His mother died less than a year after his birth and his father Woolery married Mary Coy in 1835. After his father's death in 1847, Coonrod lived with his stepmother until the start of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was among the first men in Williams County to volunteer for military service and enlisted with 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
14th Ohio Infantry
The 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Three-months regiment:...
on April 23, 1861. After his initial 90-day term ended, he joined the 48th
48th Ohio Infantry
The 48th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 48th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio September through December 1861 and mustered in February 17, 1862 for three years service under the command...
and 125th Ohio Infantry
125th Ohio Infantry
The 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 125th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio, and mustered in three years of service on October 6, 1862 under the command of colonel Emerson Opdycke.The...
eventually rising to the rank of captain. On May 9, 1864, he resigned his commission and took up farming in Pulaski Township
Pulaski Township
Pulaski Township may refer to the following places in the United States:* Pulaski Township, Lonoke County, Arkansas* Pulaski Township, Michigan* Pulaski Township, Minnesota* Pulaski Township, Walsh County, North Dakota...
. Seven years later, he moved to Bryan, Ohio
Bryan, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,333 people, 3,528 households, and 2,155 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,821.7 people per square mile . There were 3,733 housing units at an average density of 816.1 per square mile...
where he worked at the Hub and Spoke factory.
In 1873, Coonrod returned to the military and served with the 7th U.S. Cavalry then commanded by Colonel George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
. While with the 7th Cavalry, he was a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
and regimental standard-bearer. Coonrod eventually became a member of the 5th U.S. Infantry. Between October 21, 1876 and January 8, 1877, he took part in General Nelson Miles "winter campaign" against the Sioux Indians in the Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
. In October 1876, Coonrod participated in actions against Chief Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies...
at Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
, and in April 1877, fought Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S...
at Wolf Mountain
Battle of Wolf Mountain
The Battle of Wolf Mountain, also known the Battle of the Wolf Mountains, Miles's Battle on the Tongue River, and the Battle of the Butte, occurred January 8, 1877 in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne during the Great Sioux War of...
. He was one of 31 soldiers who received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for "extraordinary acts of heroism and gallantry in action" during this period. Commended for his bravery at Cedar Creek and other operations, Coonrod personally received his medal from General William T. Sherman, then Chief of Staff of the Army, on April 27, 1877. He and Civil War hero William J. Knight were the only two men from Williams County ever to receive the award.
Coonrad remained in the military until his death. In late-1877, he commanded the escort of Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
, following his surrender to General Miles, from the Bear Paw Mountains
Bear Paw Mountains
The Bear Paw Mountains are an insular-montane island range in North-Central Montana, USA, located approximately 10 miles south of Havre, Montana...
in Montana to Fort Buford
Fort Buford
Fort Buford was a United States Army base at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in North Dakota, and the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881....
in the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
. He was later permanently assigned to Fort Buford. On May 14, 1884, he led a small escort guarding U.S Army paymaster Major Whipple and a $20,000 payroll shipment intended for Fort Buford and outlying frontier outposts. After leaving Glendive, Montana
Glendive, Montana
Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census.The town of Glendive is located in South Eastern Montana and is considered by many as an agricultural hub of Eastern Montana...
, the escort was ambushed by seven bandits about 46 miles southwest of Fort Buford. Coonrod and his men were able to drive off the outlaws, however, Coonrod himself was shot twice in the abdomen and died of his wounds. His body was taken back to the Post Cemetery at Fort Buford where it was buried, then moved to the Custer National Cemetery near the Crow Agency in 1896.
Richard Cooley, a local historian in Bryan, published a biography of his life that was featured in the Williams County Historical Society newsletter in April 1991. In November 2003, a special plaque was displayed to commemorate both Coonrod and William J. Knight at the Williams County Courthouse in downtown Bryan. Both Coonrod and Knight were also profiled by The Bryan Times in 2003 and again in 2007.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Cedar Creek, etc., Mont., October 1876 to January 1877. Entered service at: Byran, Ohio. Birth: Williams County, Ohio. Date of issue: 27 April 1877.Citation:
Gallantry in action.