Jeremiah J. Murphy (February 2, 1858 – May 12, 1932), was a

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 ...

soldier who 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. ...

. His award came for gallantry during the American

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 ...

Early life

Jeremiah J. Murphy was born on February 2, 1858, in County Cork, Ireland. Before he was 18, he immigrated to the United States.

Career

Murphy enlisted into 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 ...

in Boston, Massachusetts on February 13, 1875, just eleven days after his eighteenth birthday, which was the minimal age for enlistment. Murphy was assigned to Company F, of the 3rd United States Cavalry Regiment. He was 19 years of age in March 1876, when he fought at the

Battle of Powder River The Battle of Powder River, also known as the Reynolds Battle, occurred on March 17, 1876, in Montana Territory, United States. The attack on a Cheyenne Indian encampment by Colonel Joseph J. Reynolds initiated the Great Sioux War of 1876. Althou ...

, Montana Territory on March 17, 1876. There, he attempted to rescue a badly wounded fellow 3rd Cavalry soldier, Private Lorenzo E. Ayers of Company M. Three months after the Powder River battle, on June 17, 1876, he fought in the

Battle of the Rosebud The Battle of the Rosebud (also known as the Battle of Rosebud Creek) took place on June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and its Crow and Shoshoni allies against a force consisting mostly of Lakota Sioux and Nort ...

, Montana Territory. On October 16, 1877, Murphy was awarded the

at Camp Sheridan, Nebraska, for his actions at Powder River.

Death

Jeremiah J. Murphy died on May 12, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan, where his daughter Elizabeth resided. He is interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Saddler Private, 3rd United States Cavalry. Place and date: At Powder River, Montana, March 17, 1876. Entered service at: Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Born: February 2, 1852,

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Date of issue: October 16, 1877. Citation: "Being the only member of his picket not disabled, he attempted to save a wounded comrade".

References

* Michigan Death Records 1867–1950. 932

External links