Henry Newman (Medal of Honor)
Encyclopedia
Henry Newman was a German-born soldier in the U.S. Army
who served with the 5th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars
. In the Apache Wars
, he was one of three men received the Medal of Honor
for gallantry against a hostile band of Apache Indians
in the Whetstone Mountains
of Arizona
on July 13, 1872.
. Assigned to frontier duty with the 5th U.S. Cavalry, he took part in the Apache Wars
during the early 1870s and eventually rose to the rank of first sergeant
.
On July 13, 1872, Newman set off from Camp Crittenden with a small cavalry detachment under the command of Second Lieutenant William P. Hall to pursue an Apache raiding party that had stolen cattle from a local Mexican rancher. They pursued the Apaches fifteen miles into a canyon in the Whetstone Mountains
and encountered a much larger force then they had expected. Though they attempted to surprise the Apache, the troopers were spotted and the hostiles charged. The Apache also began dropping boulders from as high as 800 feet, injuring several cavalrymen and their horses. Outnumbered and unable to mount a successful defence as long as the Apache were concealed in the canyon, Hall ordered a retreat. As second-in-command, Newman volunteered to stay behind with Hall and Private Michael Glynn to cover the retreat so the wounded could be taken to safety.
For his actions, Newman received the Medal of Honor
for gallantry, along with Privates Glynn and John Nihill
, on December 4, 1874. He died in Baltimore, Maryland on July 13, 1915 and was buried in Loudon Park National Cemetery
.
Citation:
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 5th U.S. Cavalry 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...
. In the Apache Wars
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States and Apaches fought in the Southwest from 1849 to 1886, though other minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. The Confederate Army participated in the wars during the early 1860s, for instance in Texas, before being...
, he was one of three men 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 gallantry against a hostile band of Apache Indians
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
in the Whetstone Mountains
Whetstone Mountains
The Whetstone Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Arizona. Major ranges in the region are part of sky island ranges called the Madrean Sky Islands. Part of the Coronado National Forest, the range is one of the least accessible areas...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
on July 13, 1872.
Biography
Henry Newman was born in Germany in 1845. He later emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Assigned to frontier duty with the 5th U.S. Cavalry, he took part in the Apache Wars
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States and Apaches fought in the Southwest from 1849 to 1886, though other minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. The Confederate Army participated in the wars during the early 1860s, for instance in Texas, before being...
during the early 1870s and eventually rose to 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...
.
On July 13, 1872, Newman set off from Camp Crittenden with a small cavalry detachment under the command of Second Lieutenant William P. Hall to pursue an Apache raiding party that had stolen cattle from a local Mexican rancher. They pursued the Apaches fifteen miles into a canyon in the Whetstone Mountains
Whetstone Mountains
The Whetstone Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Arizona. Major ranges in the region are part of sky island ranges called the Madrean Sky Islands. Part of the Coronado National Forest, the range is one of the least accessible areas...
and encountered a much larger force then they had expected. Though they attempted to surprise the Apache, the troopers were spotted and the hostiles charged. The Apache also began dropping boulders from as high as 800 feet, injuring several cavalrymen and their horses. Outnumbered and unable to mount a successful defence as long as the Apache were concealed in the canyon, Hall ordered a retreat. As second-in-command, Newman volunteered to stay behind with Hall and Private Michael Glynn to cover the retreat so the wounded could be taken to safety.
For his actions, Newman 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 gallantry, along with Privates Glynn and John Nihill
John Nihill
John Nihill was an Irish-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 5th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars. A participant in the Apache Wars, he received the Medal of Honor for bravery when he single-handedly fought off four Apache warriors in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona on July 13,...
, on December 4, 1874. He died in Baltimore, Maryland on July 13, 1915 and was buried in Loudon Park National Cemetery
Loudon Park National Cemetery
Loudon Park National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 7,138 interments. It is currently closed to new interments, and is maintained by the Baltimore National Cemetery.- History :Loudon Park...
.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company F, 5th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 13 July 1872. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 4 December 1874.Citation:
He and 2 companions covered the withdrawal of wounded comrades from the fire of an Apache band well concealed among rocks.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
Further reading
- Anderson, Harry H., ed. Indian Campaigns: Sketches of Cavalry Service in Arizona and on the Northern Plains. Collins, Colorado: Old Army Press, 1984. ISBN 0-88342-063-5
- Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81170-7