George Jordan was a Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....

 in the United States 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...

 and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—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 his actions in 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...

 of the western United States

Western United States

.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...

.

Jordan joined the Army from Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, and by 1880 was serving as a Sergeant in Company K of the 9th Cavalry Regiment in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. On May 7, 1890, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Tularosa

Battle of Tularosa

The Battle of Fort Tularosa occurred in May 1880 near the present-day town of Aragon in Catron County, New Mexico. In an ongoing campaign to keep from being forced to live on reservations, Chiricahua Apache warriors led by Victorio attacked Fort Tularosa north of San Francisco Plaza...

 on May 14, 1880 and at Carrizo Canyon on August 12, 1881.

Jordan reached the rank of First Sergeant

First Sergeant

First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...

 before leaving the Army. He died in 1904 and was buried in Fort McPherson National Cemetery

Fort McPherson National Cemetery

Fort McPherson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery, located south of the village of Maxwell in Lincoln County, Nebraska. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, it had 8,355 interments.- History :...

, Maxwell, Nebraska

Maxwell, Nebraska

Maxwell is a village in Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the North Platte, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 315 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Maxwell is located at ....

.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company K, 9th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Fort Tularosa, N. Mex., May 14, 1880; at Carrizo Canyon, N. Mex., August 12, 1881. Entered service at: Nashville, Tenn. Birth: Williamson County, Tenn. Date of issue: May 7, 1890.

Citation:

While commanding a detachment of 25 men at Fort Tularosa, N. Mex., repulsed a force of more than 100 Indians. At Carrizo Canyon, N . Mex., while commanding the right of a detachment of 19 men, on 12 August 1881, he stubbornly held his ground in an extremely exposed position and gallantly forced back a much superior number of the enemy, preventing them from surrounding the command.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
• List of African American Medal of Honor recipients