Simon Suhler was a private 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

Suhler enlisted in the 32nd Indiana Regiment

32nd Regiment Indiana Infantry

32nd Regiment Indiana Infantry was also known as the 1st German Regiment . Governor Oliver P. Morton commissioned August Willich of Cincinnati as Colonel of the 32nd Indiana....

 (known unofficially as the First Indiana German Regiment) at the outset of the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. The 32nd spoke German and were headed by former Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

n officer August Willich

August Willich

August Willich , born Johann August Ernst von Willich, was a military officer in the Prussian Army and a leading early proponent of Communism in Germany. In 1847 he discarded his title of nobility...

. After his capture and wounding at Shiloh

Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...

 and being furloughed back, he deserted from this unit and served under the name of Simon Neustadle, honorably, the remainder of the Civil War in the 11th Heavy Artillery. He also later served in the 4th New York Heavy Artillery.

After the war he joined the 8th Cavalry Regiment under the assumed name Charles Gardner, where he earned the Medal of Honor fighting the Apache

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...

s in 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...

. He was awarded the Medal of Honor at the rank of private. After 12 years in the 8th Cavalry he retired at the rank of sergeant. He was recommended to be promoted to lieutenant but this never took place.

Suhler died in 1895 and was buried at San Antonio National Cemetery

San Antonio National Cemetery

San Antonio National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 3,163 interments.- History :...

, San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

. A corrected monument was placed at his gravesite on Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...

 in 1988. His grave site can be found in Section I Grave 1610 and the GPS location is (lat/lon): 29.2528, -98.28068.

Medal of Honor citation

• Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 8th U.S. Cavalry.
• Place and date: Arizona, August to October 1868.
• Entered service at:------.
• Birth: Bavaria.
• Date of issue: July 24, 1869.

Citation:

Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Jewish Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
• Monument to the 32nd Indiana Regiment
  32nd Indiana Monument
  The 32nd Indiana Monument, also known as the August Bloedner Monument, is located in Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. It honors the fallen soldiers of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also known as the "1st German," at the Battle of Rowlett's Station, near...