Leander T. "Lee" Herron (1846 - 1937) was a Corporal in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

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 valo ...

for heroism near

Fort Dodge, Kansas Fort Dodge is an unincorporated community in Grandview Township, Ford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 97. It is located on U.S. Route 400 southeast of Dodge City. F ...

on September 2, 1868.

Biography

Early life

Leander Herron was born on December 29, 1846, in Fallsington, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Dr. George and Mary (Merrick) Herron. His father was a medical doctor in Philadelphia and practiced medicine before moving to Bucks County, Pennsylvania where he continued practicing his profession. Herron was only two years old when his mother died and he was placed in the care of his aunt. He attended the public schools of Fallsington until he moved to Hannahville, Canal Township, in Vanango County, Pennsylvania. From 1858 to 1862 Leander worked on a

packet boat Packet boats were medium-sized boats designed for domestic mail, passenger, and freight transportation in European countries and in North American rivers and canals, some of them steam driven. They were used extensively during the 18th and 19th ...

on the canal between Erie and Pittsburgh.

Civil War service

When

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle ...

was attacked at the beginning of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, Herron wanted to join the Union Army, but was rejected because he was only 14 at the time. On December 10, 1863, shortly before his 17th birthday, Herron enlisted in Company C,

83rd Pennsylvania Infantry The 83rd Pennsylvania was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War, which participated in almost every major battle in the East, including Seven Days Battles, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersbur ...

New Brighton, Pennsylvania New Brighton is a borough in north-central Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Beaver River northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,719 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Histor ...

. When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighed slightly more than 100 pounds. He served with the 83rd Pennsylvania in the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

and at Appomattox Court House. He was mustered out with his regiment on June 28, 1865. After the war he enlisted in Company A of the 3rd Infantry and was stationed at Fort Larned in Kansas.

Medal of Honor action

Herron left Fort Larned on the evening of September 1, 1868 to deliver mail to Fort Dodge - about 75 miles away. En route, he passed a labor detail of four soldiers from Fort Dodge gathering wood for use at the fort. The following day, Leander was supposed to make the return trip. Corporal Patrick Boyle of the 7th Cavalry accompanied Herron. After traveling about 12 miles, they heard gunfire. The labor detail Herron encountered the night before was being attacked by Indians. With pistols drawn, Herron and Boyle rode directly through the attackers and reached the imperiled soldiers. Herron took charge and the six men fought from behind a wagon confronting about fifty Indians. Herron decided to send Boyle to Fort Dodge for re-enforcements. The five remaining soldiers fought off repeated assaults through the night. As the night passed, the supply of ammunition diminished and all the soldiers, other than Herron, were wounded. Finally, Boyle and the reinforcements from Fort Dodge arrived. The attackers fled and the labor detail was saved. He did not receive the Medal of Honor until 1919 – 51 years after his heroic actions. He was the first Nebraskan to receive the Medal of Honor.

Later life

After being discharged from the Army in 1870, Herron settled in

St. Paul, Nebraska St. Paul is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,290 at the 2010 census. St. Paul is part of the Grand Island, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography St. Paul is located at ...

. In 1897 he claimed to be in a series of famous photographs taken on May 21, 1864, of General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

and his staff at Massaponax Church in

Hanover County, Virginia Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

. On 11 November 1921, Herron served as one of the official mourners at the burial of the Unknown Soldier of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. In the 1930s Herron made a recorded interview with Captain

Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

and the Legion of Valor. Corporal Leander Herron died on April 5, 1937, and is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul, Nebraska.

Awards

Civil War Campaign Medal The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States Armed Forces. The decoration was awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the American Civil War between 1861 and 186 ...

* Indian Campaign Medal

Medal of Honor citation

''While detailed as mail courier from the fort, voluntarily went to the assistance of a party of 4 enlisted men, who were attacked by about 50 Indians at some distance from the fort and remained with them until the party was relieved.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herron, Leander 1846 births 1937 deaths People from Bucks County, Pennsylvania Union Army soldiers United States Army soldiers American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People from St. Paul, Nebraska