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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Second Lieutenant · U.S. Army

Harry Leroy Hawthorne

Second Lieutenant Harry Leroy Hawthorne, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns December 29, 1890

Second Lieutenant Harry Leroy Hawthorne was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with 2d U.S. Artillery. Hawthorne was 31 years old.

18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 11, 1892. He later rose to the rank of Colonel.

Hawthorne was born on November 27, 1859 in Minnesota. His Medal of Honor is credited to Kentucky. Hawthorne died on April 9, 1948 in Pasadena, California, at the age of 88. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Hawthorne is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 44 credited to Kentucky.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Distinguished conduct in battle with hostile Indians.

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

Life beyond the battlefield

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Minnesota — map
  • Buried: Arlington National Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Kentucky →

Timeline

  1. November 27, 1859
    Born in Minnesota
  2. December 29, 1890
    Act of valor — Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota
    Age 31. 2d U.S. Artillery
  3. October 11, 1892
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. April 9, 1948
    Died in Pasadena, California
    Age 88.
  5. Resting place
    Arlington National Cemetery
    Arlington, Virginia

Biography

Harry LeRoy Hawthorne (November 27, 1859 – April 10, 1948) was a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Wounded Knee Massacre. Hawthorne was born in 1859 in Minnesota. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1882, but after two years chose to take his commission in the United States Army. He distinguished himself at was then called the Battle of Wounded Knee, but now commonly called the Wounded Knee Massacre receiving the Medal of Honor. He made the Army a career, attending the Army War College and retiring as a colonel in 1914, and was recalled to serve during World War I.

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

Also honored for actions on December 29, 1890

WA William Grafton Austin Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 JC John E. Clancy Musician · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 MF Mosheim Feaster Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 Ernest Albert Garlington First Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 John Channing Gresham First Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 MH Mathew H. Hamilton Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 JH Joshua B. Hartzog Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 MH Marvin C. Hillock Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 George Hobday Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 BJ Bernhard Jetter Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 GL George Lloyd Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 AM Albert Walter McMillian Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890

See all 19 recipients for December 29, 1890 →

Same unit

Samuel Nicholl Benjamin First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1861

More Indian Campaigns recipients from Kentucky

TS Thomas W. Stivers Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 ✦ Thomas Cruse Second Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1882 RM Robert McDonald First Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1877 MM Michael McLoughlin Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 BW Brent Woods Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1881 FB Frank Bratling Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1873 ✦
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.