James Sumner (Medal of Honor)
Encyclopedia
James Sumner was a United States Army
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
, for his actions in the Indian Wars
of the western United States
. An English
immigrant, Sumner served as a cavalryman during the Apache Wars
of southeastern Arizona Territory
. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for advancing through heavy fire in a skirmish against a group of Chiricahua
Indians led by Cochise
.
, England
, Sumner immigrated to the United States and joined the Army from Chicago
. He served as a private
in Company G of the 1st Cavalry Regiment and was stationed at Fort Bowie
in southeastern Arizona Territory
during the Apache Wars
.
warriors led by Cochise
ambushed a Tucson
-bound mail stagecoach near Dragoon Springs, on the northern end of the Dragoon Mountains
. After killing and mutilating the single passenger and four escorting soldiers, the group attacked six cowboys, killing one, and stole 120 of their cattle. A cavalry patrol dispatched from Fort Bowie chased the Indians into the Chiricahua Mountains
and, after a running fight which resulted in a dozen dead warriors, recovered the cattle. Sumner was part of a second patrol, composed of men from Company G, 1st Cavalry, and Company G, 8th Cavalry, which was sent out on the night of October 16 to continue the chase. The 61-man patrol, commanded by Captain Reuben F. Bernard, returned to the scene of the earlier fight and tracked Cochise and his warriors high into the mountains.
After finding an abandoned campsite on October 20 and continuing along a faint trail, the troopers came under fire from Indians positioned atop a rocky mesa flanked by deep canyons. Under orders from Captain Bernard, Sumner and others dismounted and charged up the steep side of the mesa, taking heavy fire the entire way. They reached a low ledge 30 yards (27.4 m) from the Apaches and were pinned down by combined bow
and gun fire; two troopers were killed and one wounded. Bernard attempted to flank the Indians with another group of soldiers but found their position to be impregnable—the warriors held the high ground and had good cover from large boulders on the mesa top. Unable to advance and with the patrol's horses exposed to hostile fire, Bernard ordered a withdrawal. The skirmish resulted in eighteen dead Apaches. Bernard recommended all 32 troopers who had charged up the mesa for the Medal of Honor. Sumner's medal was awarded four months after the battle, on February 14, 1870. His official citation reads simply: "Gallantry in action".
and then in Oxnard
. He never married and had no children. Sumner died at age 72 of kidney failure at a hospital in Ventura
and was buried there in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Falling into disrepair after years of neglect, St. Mary's Cemetery was taken over by the city of Ventura in the early 1960s and converted to a park. Most of the grave markers were removed, however roughly 3,000 bodies were never disinterred. Cemetery Memorial Park, as it is now known, is dotted with a few dozen remaining grave markers, including Sumner's bronze plaque headstone.
The condition of Sumner's grave site received media attention in mid-2010, when the Ventura parks and recreation commission deferred and later rejected a request to move his remains to Bakersfield National Cemetery
. Supporters of the move called the situation "disrespectful," noting that Cemetery Memorial Park had become a popular place for locals to walk their dogs and that the animals defecate on and near Sumner's grave. The commission stated its intention to commemorate those buried in the park, however this effort has been long delayed.
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...
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest 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...
. An English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
immigrant, Sumner served as a cavalryman during 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...
of southeastern Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for advancing through heavy fire in a skirmish against a group of Chiricahua
Chiricahua
Chiricahua are a group of Apache Native Americans who live in the Southwest United States. At the time of European encounter, they were living in 15 million acres of territory in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States, and in northern Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico...
Indians led by Cochise
Cochise
Cochise was a chief of the Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache and the leader of an uprising that began in 1861. Cochise County, Arizona is named after him.-Biography:...
.
Early life and career
A native of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Sumner immigrated to the United States and joined the Army from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He served as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in Company G of the 1st Cavalry Regiment and was stationed at Fort Bowie
Fort Bowie
Fort Bowie was a 19th century outpost of the United States Army located in southeastern Arizona near the present day town of Willcox, Arizona.Fort Bowie was established in 1862 after a series of engagements between the U.S. Military and the Chiricahua Apaches. The most violent of which was the...
in southeastern Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
during 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...
.
Medal of Honor action
On October 6, 1869, a group of ChiricahuaChiricahua
Chiricahua are a group of Apache Native Americans who live in the Southwest United States. At the time of European encounter, they were living in 15 million acres of territory in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States, and in northern Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico...
warriors led by Cochise
Cochise
Cochise was a chief of the Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache and the leader of an uprising that began in 1861. Cochise County, Arizona is named after him.-Biography:...
ambushed a Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
-bound mail stagecoach near Dragoon Springs, on the northern end of the Dragoon Mountains
Dragoon Mountains
Dragoon Mountains are a range of mountains located in Cochise County, Arizona. The range is about 25 mi long, running on an axis extending south-south east through Willcox.- Geography :...
. After killing and mutilating the single passenger and four escorting soldiers, the group attacked six cowboys, killing one, and stole 120 of their cattle. A cavalry patrol dispatched from Fort Bowie chased the Indians into the Chiricahua Mountains
Chiricahua Mountains
The Chiricahua Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Arizona which are part of the Basin and Range province of the southwest, and part of the Coronado National Forest...
and, after a running fight which resulted in a dozen dead warriors, recovered the cattle. Sumner was part of a second patrol, composed of men from Company G, 1st Cavalry, and Company G, 8th Cavalry, which was sent out on the night of October 16 to continue the chase. The 61-man patrol, commanded by Captain Reuben F. Bernard, returned to the scene of the earlier fight and tracked Cochise and his warriors high into the mountains.
After finding an abandoned campsite on October 20 and continuing along a faint trail, the troopers came under fire from Indians positioned atop a rocky mesa flanked by deep canyons. Under orders from Captain Bernard, Sumner and others dismounted and charged up the steep side of the mesa, taking heavy fire the entire way. They reached a low ledge 30 yards (27.4 m) from the Apaches and were pinned down by combined bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
and gun fire; two troopers were killed and one wounded. Bernard attempted to flank the Indians with another group of soldiers but found their position to be impregnable—the warriors held the high ground and had good cover from large boulders on the mesa top. Unable to advance and with the patrol's horses exposed to hostile fire, Bernard ordered a withdrawal. The skirmish resulted in eighteen dead Apaches. Bernard recommended all 32 troopers who had charged up the mesa for the Medal of Honor. Sumner's medal was awarded four months after the battle, on February 14, 1870. His official citation reads simply: "Gallantry in action".
Later life and legacy
After his military service, Sumner moved to California where he lived first in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and then in Oxnard
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
. He never married and had no children. Sumner died at age 72 of kidney failure at a hospital in Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
and was buried there in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Falling into disrepair after years of neglect, St. Mary's Cemetery was taken over by the city of Ventura in the early 1960s and converted to a park. Most of the grave markers were removed, however roughly 3,000 bodies were never disinterred. Cemetery Memorial Park, as it is now known, is dotted with a few dozen remaining grave markers, including Sumner's bronze plaque headstone.
The condition of Sumner's grave site received media attention in mid-2010, when the Ventura parks and recreation commission deferred and later rejected a request to move his remains to Bakersfield National Cemetery
Bakersfield National Cemetery
Bakersfield National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located at 30338 East Bear Mountain Blvd, Arvin, California, in Kern County. It is approximately east of Bakersfield. It is isolated from urban development by oak studded rolling hills in the Tehachapi Mountains...
. Supporters of the move called the situation "disrespectful," noting that Cemetery Memorial Park had become a popular place for locals to walk their dogs and that the animals defecate on and near Sumner's grave. The commission stated its intention to commemorate those buried in the park, however this effort has been long delayed.