Willis H. Downs (September 1866–September 15, 1929) 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 ...
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
who earned 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. ...
during the
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
. He later obtained the rank of Wagoner. Wagoner Downs is buried in the
Highland Home Cemetery in
Jamestown, North Dakota
Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stutsman County. The population was 15,849 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1883 and i ...
. He was one of twelve members of
Young's Scouts
Young's Scouts was a select group of United States Army soldiers during the Philippine–American War organized under a Vermont civilian named William Henry Young.
Unit history
Because of his previous experience as a soldier and soldier of fort ...
awarded the Medal of Honor between 13 and May 16, 1899.
He is buried in Highland Home Cemetery,
Jamestown, North Dakota
Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stutsman County. The population was 15,849 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1883 and i ...
. Downs is erroneously identified as having a birthdate of June 1870; this is incorrect, as evidenced by North Dakota Census documents, his obituary, and his headstone.
Medal of Honor citation
Organization: Private, Company H,
1st North Dakota Volunteer Infantry. Place and Date: At
San Miguel de Mayumo
San Miguel, officially the Municipality of San Miguel ( tgl, Bayan ng San Miguel), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 172,073 people.
It is the third larg ...
,
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
,
Philippine Islands
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, May 13, 1899. Entered Service At: Jamestown, N. Dak. Birth:
Mount Carmel, Conn. Date of Issue: February 16, 1906.
Citation:
With 11 other scouts, without waiting for the supporting battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
to aid them or to get into a position to do so, charged over a distance of about 150 yards and completely routed about 300 of the enemy who were in line and in a position that could only be carried by a frontal attack.
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 ...
*
List of Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipients
The Philippine–American War was an armed military conflict between the United States and the First Philippine Republic, fought from 1899 to at least 1902, which arose from a Filipino people, Filipino political struggle against U.S. occupation ...
Notes
References
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American military personnel of the Philippine–American War
1866 births
1929 deaths
People from Hamden, Connecticut
United States Army soldiers
People from North Dakota
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
People from Jamestown, North Dakota
Philippine–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor
Military personnel from Connecticut
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