James F. Ayers (1847 – January 18, 1895) 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, cla ...

who served with the

6th U.S. Cavalry The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviation ...

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 was a participant in the

Red River War The Red River War was a military campaign launched by the United States Army in 1874 to displace the Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Native American tribes from the Southern Plains, and forcibly relocate the tribes to reservatio ...

and one of several 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 valor. ...

for bravery fighting Indians at the Battle at Sappa Creek on April 23, 1875.Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. ''Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations''. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. (pg. 199)Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. ''Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess''. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. (pg. 1012)Hannings, Bud. ''A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes''. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 372) O'Neal, Bill. ''Fighting Men of the Indian Wars: A Biographical Encyclopedia of the Mountain Men, Soldiers, Cowboys, and Pioneers Who Took Up Arms During America's Westward Expansion''. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Barbed Wire Press, 1991. (pg. 29) Wilson, D. Ray. ''Terror on the Plains: A Clash of Cultures''. Dundee, Illinois: Crossroads Communications, 1999. (pg. 175) Yenne, Bill. ''Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West''. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 169) Cruse, J. Brett. ''Battles of the Red River War: Archeological Perspectives on the Indian campaign of 1874''. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2008. (pg. 160)

Biography

James F. Ayers was born in Collinstown, Virginia. He later moved to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

where he enlisted in the

. He was assigned to the

and sent to the frontier where he took part in campaigns against the

Plains Indians Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of N ...

, particularly the

, during the 1870s. He was cited for bravery while battle Indians at Sappa Creek, Kansas on April 23, 1875. He was one of several regimental members to receive the

, Ayers receiving his award for "rapid pursuit, gallantry, energy, and enterprise in an engagement with Indians" on November 16, 1876. Ayers remained in the military until his death at

Fort Riley, Kansas Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Gear ...

, on January 18, 1895, and interred at the post cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., April 23, 1875. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Collinstown, Va. Date of issue: November 16, 1876. Citation:

Rapid pursuit, gallantry, energy, and enterprise in an engagement with Indians.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ayers, James F. 1840s births 1895 deaths United States Army soldiers American military personnel of the Indian Wars United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from Virginia American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

Further reading

External links