George H. Morgan

George Horace Morgan (January 1, 1855 – February 14, 1948) was an American cavalry officer and Medal of Honor recipient. He was the son of a Civil War general, George N. Morgan, and graduated from West Point, the U.S. Military Academy, in 1880. He was post commander of Fort Myer, Virginia, when he held the rank of major, March–June 1899.

George Horace Morgan
George Horace Morgan
Born(1855-01-01)January 1, 1855
Quebec, Canada
DiedFebruary 14, 1948(1948-02-14) (aged 93)
Washington, D.C., US
Place of burial
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1880–1919
RankColonel
Unit3rd Cavalry Regiment
Commands held15th Cavalry Regiment
8th Cavalry Regiment
17th Cavalry Regiment
Battles/warsIndian Wars
*Apache Wars
*Battle of Big Dry Wash
Spanish–American War
Philippine–American War
World War I
AwardsMedal of Honor
Silver Star (2)

Morgan served in all the United States' wars from the Indian Wars to World War I. He was wounded by an Apache in the Battle of Big Dry Wash in the Arizona Territory in 1882, for which he received the Medal of Honor. The bullet remained near his heart for over 60 years until it shifted in 1948 and caused his death. He is the namesake of Camp Morgan in Bosnia.[1] Three other men, First Lieutenant Frank West, Second Lieutenant Thomas Cruse and First Sergeant Charles Taylor were also awarded Medals of Honor in this action. West and Cruse are also Academy graduates.[2]

Death and burial

Morgan attained the rank of colonel in April 1914, and retired on New Year's Day 1919.[3] He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Big Dry Wash, Ariz., July 17, 1882. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Birth: Canada. Date of issue: July 15, 1892.[4]

Citation:

Gallantly held his ground at a critical moment and fired upon the advancing enemy (hostile Indians) until he was disabled by a shot.

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. "George Horace Morgan". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  2. "Frank West". Home of Heroes. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
  3. West Point Memorial Page
  4. "Medal of Honor recipients Indian Wars Period". Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 2009-04-12.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.