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Scout · U.S. Army

Amos Chapman

Scout Amos Chapman, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on September 12, 1874 at Washita River, Texas during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns September 12, 1874

Scout Amos Chapman, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on September 12, 1874 at Washita River, Texas during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with 6th U.S. Cavalry (Assigned), Indian Scouts. Chapman was 35 years old.

5 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on November 7, 1874. Medal issued in 1872; Chapman's Medal of Honor was rescinded following the 1916-1917 review of Army Medal of Honor awards as he was a civilian at the time of his valor; he was restored to the Medal of Honor Roll in 1989.

Chapman was born on March 15, 1839 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. His Medal of Honor is credited to Fort Supply, Woodward County, Oklahoma, (Indian Territory). Chapman died on July 18, 1925, at the age of 86. He is buried at Brumfield Cemetery in Seiling, Oklahoma. His medal is held by Oklahoma Historical Society, State Capitol, Oklahoma City, OK.

Chapman is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 25 credited to Oklahoma.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Gallantry in action.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Places

  • Born: Michigan — map
  • Died: Seiling — map
  • Buried: Brumfield Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Oklahoma →

Timeline

  1. March 15, 1839
    Born in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
  2. September 12, 1874
    Act of valor — Washita River, Texas
    Age 35. 6th U.S. Cavalry (Assigned), Indian Scouts
  3. November 7, 1874
    Medal of Honor presented
    Medal issued in 1872; Chapman's Medal of Honor was rescinded following the 1916-1917 review of Army Medal of Honor awards as he was a civilian at the time of his valor; he was restored to the Medal of Honor Roll in 1989.
  4. July 18, 1925
    Died
    Age 86.
  5. Resting place
    Brumfield Cemetery
    Seiling, Oklahoma

Biography

Amos Chapman (1839–1925) was a civilian scout who was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry while in service of the United States Army during the Indian Wars. His medal was later revoked before he died as he was a civilian, but was reinstated in 1989. He was of mixed white and Native American ancestry, and married Mary Longneck, a Cheyenne woman, maintaining Native American customs throughout his life. In 2012, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.

From the Wikipedia article “Amos Chapman”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on September 12, 1874

William "Billy" Dixon Scout · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 JH John Harrington Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 PR Peter Paul Roth Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 GS George W. Smith Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 ✦ ZW Zachariah Woodall Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.