Marcus Morton Robbins (July 25, 1851 – June 21, 1924) served 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 ...
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 ...
. He 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 ...
.
Robbins was a resident of
Elba, Wisconsin
Elba is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,086 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Astico and Danville are located in the town.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town ...
. He died at his daughter's home in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all ...
on June 21, 1924, and was buried in
Pittsfield Cemetery
Pittsfield Cemetery is a historic cemetery at 203 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Established in 1850, it is good example of a rural cemetery, and is the resting ground of many prominent Pittsfield residents, with a number of arch ...
.
Army service
Robbins served as a private in the
Sixth U.S. Cavalry, fighting in 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 ...
On April 23, 1875, Robbins and five other soldiers snuck up behind a band of
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...
warriors and attacked them from the rear at the
Battle at Sappa Creek in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
. He received a Medal of Honor for these actions on November 16, 1876. Several other members of his company also received medals for their role in the battle.
Richard Longstreth Tea,
Frederick Platten,
James Lowthers,
Simpson Hornaday
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, and
Peter W. Gardiner made up the rest of the expedition around the Cheyenne lines, and all received the Medal of Honor.
Michael Dawson
Michael may refer to:
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and
James F. Ayers
James F. Ayers (1847 – January 18, 1895) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars. He was a participant in the Red River War and one of several men received the Medal of Honor for bra ...
also were a part of the battle, and also were awarded the Medal of Honor. The engagement was part of 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 reser ...
.
Twentieth-century commentators have questioned the role of the Sixth Cavalry at Sappa Creek, with some calling it a "massacre."
Medal of Honor
His award citation reads:
With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
The medal itself was out of possession of Robbins' family for many years, until it was returned to them in 2009.
[Connor Berry.]
A Majestic Medal
''Berkshire Eagle
''The Berkshire Eagle'' is an American daily newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and covering all of Berkshire County, as well as four New York communities near Pittsfield. It is considered a newspaper of record for Berkshire County ...
'' December 5, 2009
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 Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the Native people of North America.
The wars, which ranged from the 17th-century (King Philip's War, Kin ...
References
:
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, Marcus
People from Elba, Wisconsin
Military personnel from Wisconsin
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
United States Army soldiers
1851 births
1924 deaths
American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor