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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Edwin L. Elwood

Private Edwin L. Elwood, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on October 20, 1869 in Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns October 20, 1869

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private Edwin L. Elwood received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 20, 1869 in Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company G, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Elwood was about 22 years old.

32 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on February 14, 1870.

Elwood was born in 1847 in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri. His Medal of Honor is credited to San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. Elwood died on September 13, 1907 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of about 60. He is buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Records also list him as Edwin Brophy.

Elwood is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 142 credited to California.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Gallantry in action.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: Apache Wars, American Indian Wars.

Places

  • Born: St. Louis — map
  • Died: Santa Fe — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in California →

From the archives

Edwin Elwood served under the alias Edwin Brophy during the Civil War. When he later enlisted in the 8th U.S. Cavalry, he was using his legal name of Edwin Elwood.

Timeline

  1. 1847
    Born in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri
  2. October 20, 1869
    Act of valor — Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory
    Age about 22. Company G, 8th U.S. Cavalry
  3. February 14, 1870
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. September 13, 1907
    Died in Santa Fe, New Mexico
    Age about 60.
  5. Resting place
    Santa Fe National Cemetery
    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Biography

Edwin L. Elwood (1847 – September 13, 1907) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 8th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars. He took part in campaigns against Cochise and the Apache Indians in the Arizona Territory in the late-1860s and was one of thirty-two men who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the fighting in the Chiricahua Mountains, known as the "Campaign of the Rocky Mesa", on October 20, 1869.

From the Wikipedia article “Edwin L. Elwood”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on October 20, 1869

JC John Carr Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 CD Charles H. Dickens Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 JD John L. Donahue Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 JG John Georgian Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 MH Mosher A. Harding Blacksmith · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 FJ Frederick Jarvis Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 BK Bartholomew T. Keenan Trumpeter · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 CK Charles Kelley Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 NM Nicholas Meaher Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 EM Edward Murphy Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 FO Francis Oliver First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 EP Edward Pengally Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869

See all 33 recipients for October 20, 1869 →

More Indian Campaigns recipients from California

PB Patrick J. Burke Farrier · Army Indian Campaigns · 1868 BS Benoni Strivson Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1868 JM John Moran Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 HF Henry Falcott Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1868 FG Francis C. Green Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1868 JH John Hall Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1868
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.