George Geiger (1843–1904) was a sergeant in the

United States 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, cla ...

and the recipient to the highest military decoration for valor in combat — 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 valor. ...

— for having distinguished himself at the

Battle of the Little Big Horn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nort ...

on June 25, 1876, 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 ...

Biography

Born in Cincinnati in 1843, he enlisted, June 15, 1861, with the 47th Ohio Infantry, Company A, in Cincinnati. Captured outside of Atlanta, he was imprisoned in the notorious Andersonville Prison Camp for two months and four days. Geiger was discharged August 11, 1865, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He reenlisted with Troop M, of the

7th U.S. Cavalry The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...

, November 29, 1867, in St. Louis, Missouri. Geiger completed his enlistment and was discharged November 29, 1872, in Unionville, South Carolina. Nineteen days later, in Louisville, Kentucky, he reenlisted with the 7th Cavalry and was attached to Troop H, December 18, 1872. He completed his service and was discharged, for medical reasons, at Ft. Buford, South Dakota, December 18, 1877. Geiger is described in military records as having been dark complexioned, gray eyes, 5' 5" in height. He could read and write. Military records identify him as a Protestant. Geiger was admitted multiple times to the Dayton, Ohio VA hospital for various service-related illnesses ranging from chronic dysentery to rheumatism, beginning in 1897. He died January 23, 1904, age 61. Geiger was married. He was survived by his half brother, Edward Metzer, 1208 W. 7th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Geiger was interred in the Dayton National Cemetery, Montgomery County, Ohio, Section N, Row 20, Grave 47. Geiger George -- Dayton, Ohio VA military record

Geiger George -- Dayton, Ohio VA military record

Medal of honor citation

*Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company H, 7th United States Cavalry. *Places and dates: Little Big Horn River,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, June 25, 1876 *Entered Service at:

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, October 15, 1866 *Birth: 1843,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

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*Date of issue: October 5, 1878 Citation: :With 3 comrades during the entire engagement courageously held a position that secured water for the command.

Description of Action

Sergeant George Geiger was one of twenty-four soldiers of the 7th Cavalry to earn the Medal of Honor during the Battle of the Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876, often called "Custer's Last Stand." Five men received awards for direct combat actions. Sergeant Geiger was one of nineteen men who was cited for heroism in obtaining critical water for the wounded. Along with Private Charles Windolph, Blacksmith Henry Mechlin, and Saddler Otto Voit, Sergeant Geiger took up an exposed position outside of the cavalry's line of defense in order to draw enemy fire away from fifteen other men who risked their own lives to get water from the river. For four hours the four valiant troopers, acting as both decoys and an attacking force, dodged bullets and laid down a protective covering fire. They accomplished their mission so well that not one of the men who dashed the eighty yards from the cavalry encampment to the river was killed.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Geiger, George 1843 births 1904 deaths American military personnel of the Indian Wars United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army soldiers American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Medal of honor citation

Description of Action

See also

References

External links