Jacob Trautman
Encyclopedia
First Sergeant Jacob Trautman (1840 – November 7, 1898) was a German-born soldier in the U.S. Army
who served with the 7th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars
. He was one of twenty-three men who received the Medal of Honor
for gallantry, killing a Sioux
warrior in armed combat, at what was then called the Battle of Wounded Knee, but now commonly called the Wounded Knee Massacre
on December 29, 1890.
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. He served on the frontier with the famed 7th Cavalry Regiment, being a veteran of the Indian Wars
against the Plains Indians
, and eventually reached the rank of first sergeant. Sent to arrest the Sioux chieftain Big Foot and disarm his 350 followers, he was among the cavalry troopers who, on the morning of December 29, 1890, surrounded his camp on the banks of Wounded Knee Creek
. Trautman distinguished himself by killing an armed Sioux warrior "at close quarters", and was among the 23 cavalrymen who received the Medal of Honor
. Although he was entitled to retire with pension due to his age and long years of service, he volunteered to remain with Company I and lead his men until the end of the campaign. Trautman returned to Pittsburgh where he died on November 7, 1898, at the age of 58. He was buried at South Side Cemetery and is the only MOH recipient to be interred there.
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 7th 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...
. He was one of twenty-three men 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 gallantry, killing a 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...
warrior in armed combat, at what was then called the Battle of Wounded Knee, but now commonly called the Wounded Knee Massacre
Wounded Knee Massacre
The Wounded Knee Massacre happened on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, USA. On the day before, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M...
on December 29, 1890.
Biography
Jacob Trautman was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1840. He emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the United States ArmyUnited 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...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. He served on the frontier with the famed 7th Cavalry Regiment, being a veteran of 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...
against the Plains Indians
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
, and eventually reached the rank of first sergeant. Sent to arrest the Sioux chieftain Big Foot and disarm his 350 followers, he was among the cavalry troopers who, on the morning of December 29, 1890, surrounded his camp on the banks of Wounded Knee Creek
Wounded Knee Creek
Wounded Knee Creek is a tributary of the White River, approximately long, in southwestern South Dakota in the United States. Its Lakota name is '....
. Trautman distinguished himself by killing an armed Sioux warrior "at close quarters", and was among the 23 cavalrymen 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...
. Although he was entitled to retire with pension due to his age and long years of service, he volunteered to remain with Company I and lead his men until the end of the campaign. Trautman returned to Pittsburgh where he died on November 7, 1898, at the age of 58. He was buried at South Side Cemetery and is the only MOH recipient to be interred there.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company I, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: --. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 27 March 1891.Citation:
Killed a hostile Indian at close quarters, and, although entitled to retirement from service, remained to the close of the campaign.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars