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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Army

Frederick Platten

Sergeant Frederick Platten, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 23, 1875 at Sappa Creek, Kansas during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns April 23, 1875Born in Ireland

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Sergeant Frederick Platten received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 23, 1875 at Sappa Creek, Kansas during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Platten was about 26 years old.

7 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on November 16, 1876. He later rose to the rank of First Sergeant.

Platten was born in 1849 in Torbeck, Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York, New York. Platten died on March 2, 1939 in Williams, Arizona, at the age of about 90. He is buried at Williams Cemetery in Williams, Arizona.

Platten 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 five 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.

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

Timeline

  1. 1849
    Born in Torbeck, Ireland
  2. April 23, 1875
    Act of valor — Sappa Creek, Kansas
    Age about 26. Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry
  3. November 16, 1876
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. March 2, 1939
    Died in Williams, Arizona
    Age about 90.
  5. Resting place
    Williams Cemetery
    Williams, Arizona

Also honored for actions on April 23, 1875

JA James F. Ayers Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875 MD Michael Dawson Trumpeter · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875 PG Peter W. Gardiner Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875 EH Elisha Simpson Hornaday Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875 JL James Lowthers Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875 Marcus M. Robbins Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875 RT Richard Longstreet Tea Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1875

Same unit

JC John Connor Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 JH John Harrington Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 TK Thomas Kerrigan Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 GK George Krause Kitchen Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 WM William W. Morris Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 ES Edward Clay Sharpless Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 CS Charles E. Smith Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 AS Alonzo Stokes First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870

More Indian Campaigns recipients from New York

CF Christopher Freemeyer Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 MH Mathew H. Hamilton Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 JS John P. Schnitzer Wagoner · Army Indian Campaigns · 1882 JS Julius Alexis Schou Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 JG John Georgian Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 GM George Moquin Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1879
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.