Henry Johnson 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...

.

Biography

In 1879, Johnson served as a Sergeant in Company D of the 9th Cavalry Regiment. From October 2, to October 5, of that year, at Milk River

Milk River

-Rivers:Canada and the United States*The Milk River , a tributary of the upper Fraser River in Canada*The Milk River , United States*The Milk River , a tributary of the Missouri RiverJamaica*The Milk River...

, Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

, Johnson "[v]oluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close range made the rounds of the pits

Defensive fighting position

A defensive fighting position is a type of earthwork constructed in a military context, generally large enough to accommodate at least one person.- Terminology :...

 to instruct the guards, [and] fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded."

Death and burial

Johnson died in 1904 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

, Arlington, Virginia. His grave can be located in section 23, lot 16547.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company D, 9th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Milk River, Colo., 2-October 5, 1879. Entered service at:------. Birth: Boynton, Va. Date of issue: September 22, 1890.

Citation:

Voluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close range made the rounds of the pits to instruct the guards, fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded.

See also

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