Private Charles Windolph was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 25, 1876 in Little Big Horn, Montana during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company H, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Windolph was 24 years old.
22 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 5, 1878, 2 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of First Sergeant.
Windolph was born on December 9, 1851 in Bergen, Germany — one of 130 recipients born in Germany. His Medal of Honor is credited to Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. Windolph died on March 11, 1950 in Lead, South Dakota, at the age of 98. He is buried at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.
Windolph is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
With three comrades, during the entire engagement, courageously held a position that secured water for the command.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Charles Windolph received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- December 9, 1851Born in Bergen, Germany
- June 25, 1876Act of valor — Little Big Horn, MontanaAge 24. Company H, 7th U.S. Cavalry
- October 5, 1878Medal of Honor presented
- March 11, 1950Died in Lead, South DakotaAge 98.
- Resting placeBlack Hills National CemeterySturgis, South Dakota
Biography
Charles A. Windolph (December 9, 1851 – March 11, 1950) was a soldier in Company H of George Armstrong Custer's Seventh U.S. Cavalry who survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn and was the recipient of the Medal of Honor.
From the Wikipedia article “Charles Windolph”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
