Edwin L. Elwood (1847 – September 13, 1907) was an American soldier in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

who served with the 8th U.S. Cavalry during the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

. He took part in campaigns against

Cochise Cochise (; Apache: ''Shi-ka-She'' or ''A-da-tli-chi'', lit.: ''having the quality or strength of an oak''; later ''K'uu-ch'ish'' or ''Cheis'', lit. ''oak''; June 8, 1874) was leader of the Chihuicahui local group of the Chokonen and principa ...

and the

Apache Indians The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

in the Arizona Territory in the late-1860s and was one of thirty-two men received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

for gallantry during the fighting in the

Chiricahua Mountains The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest. ...

, known as the "Campaign of the Rocky Mesa", on October 20, 1869.

Biography

Edwin L. Elwood was born in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, in 1847.Melzer, Richard. ''Buried Treasures: Famous and Unusual Gravesites in New Mexico History''. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press, 2007. (pg. 282) He later moved to

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

, where he enlisted in the

. He was sent to the Arizona Territory for frontier duty with the 8th U.S. Cavalry and took part in the Apache Wars. Elwood was among the soldiers under Lieutenant William H. Winters who pursued

and the

following the massacre of stage coach passengers en route to Tucson, and an attack on a group of cowboys in the Sulphur Springs Valley, on October 5, 1868. The cavalrymen finally confronted Cochise at his stronghold in the

, in what would become known as the "Campaign of the Rocky Mesa", on October 20, 1869. Elwood was shot in the right side of his chest while battling the Apaches but recovered from his injuries. He was cited for "gallantry in action" in this engagement and was among the 32 members of the 1st and 8th U.S. Cavalry who received the

on February 14, 1870.Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. ''Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1973, 93rd Cong., 1st sess''. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1973. (pg. 288)Nunnally, Michael L. ''American Indian Wars: A Chronology of Confrontations Between Native Peoples and Settlers and the United States Military, 1500s-1901''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2007. (pg. ) Elwood died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 13, 1907, at the age of 60. He was interred at the

Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of 2021, had 68,000 interments. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it ...

.Nava, Margaret M. ''Remembering: A Guide to New Mexico Cemeteries, Monuments and Memorials''. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press, 2006. (pg. 110)

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, Company G, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Chiricahua Mountains, Ariz., October 20, 1869. Entered service at: California. Birth: St. Louis, Mo. Date of issue: February 14, 1870. Citation:

Gallantry in action.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elwood, Edwin L. 1847 births 1907 deaths American military personnel of the Indian Wars United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from St. Louis People from Santa Fe, New Mexico United States Army soldiers American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor Burials at Santa Fe National Cemetery

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

Further reading

External links