First Sergeant Richard Barrett (1838 – March 20, 1898) was an
Irish-born
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
soldier in the
U.S. Army who served with the
1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment during the
Indian Wars. He was awarded the
Medal of Honor during the
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. After the Mexic ...
when he voluntarily led a charge against a group of hostile
Tonto Apaches at
Sycamore Canyon
Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country, after Oak Creek Canyon. The long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about . It is in North Central Arizona bordering and below the Mogollon Rim, and is located w ...
on May 23, 1872.
Biography
Richard Barrett was born in
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
,
Ireland in 1838. He eventually emigrated to the
United States and settled in
Buffalo, New York. It was there that Barrett enlisted in the
United States Army and was assigned to Company A of the
1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment. By 1872, he had risen to the rank of
first sergeant. On May 23 of that year, while posted to the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
, Barrett volunteered to lead a charge against a group of renegade
Tonto Apaches at
Sycamore Canyon
Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country, after Oak Creek Canyon. The long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about . It is in North Central Arizona bordering and below the Mogollon Rim, and is located w ...
. He was cited for "conspicuous gallantry" and recommended for the
Medal of Honor for his actions
[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. 539)][Manning, Robert, ed. ''Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam''. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985. ][Yenne, Bill. ''Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West''. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 148) ] which he officially received on April 12, 1875.
Barrett moved to
Washington, D.C. after his retirement from military service. He died there on March 20, 1898, at the age of 60. He was interred at the
United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company A, 1st U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sycamore Canyon, Ariz., May 23, 1872. Entered service at: --. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: April 12, 1875.
Citation:
Consplcuous gallantry in a charge upon the Tonto Apaches.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their ...
References
Further reading
*Konstantin, Phil. ''This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day''. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Richard
1838 births
1898 deaths
19th-century Irish people
American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor
American military personnel of the Indian Wars
Irish emigrants to the United States
Irish soldiers in the United States Army
Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients
Military personnel from Buffalo, New York
Military personnel from County Mayo
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
United States Army officers
Burials at United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery