Veteran in crisis? Dial 988 then press 1 · Text 838255 Next observance: Navy Birthday · October 13
Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Henry Wills

Private Henry Wills, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on July 8, 1873 at Fort Selden, New Mexico during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns July 8, 1873

Private Henry Wills was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 8, 1873 at Fort Selden, New Mexico during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company C, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Wills was about 31 years old.

4 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 12, 1875, 2 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Wills was born in 1842 in Gracon, Virginia. His Medal of Honor is credited to St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri.

Wills is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 78 credited to Missouri.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Services against hostile Indians.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Indian Wars.

Timeline

  1. 1842
    Born in Gracon, Virginia
  2. July 8, 1873
    Act of valor — Fort Selden, New Mexico
    Age about 31. Company C, 8th U.S. Cavalry
  3. August 12, 1875
    Medal of Honor presented

Biography

Henry Wills (born c. 1842, date of death unknown) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Indian Wars of the western United States.

From the Wikipedia article “Henry Wills (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on July 8, 1873

FB Frank Bratling Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1873 ✦ LL Leonidas S. Lytle Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1873 JM James L. Morris First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1873 JS John Sheerin Blacksmith · Army Indian Campaigns · 1873

More Indian Campaigns recipients from Missouri

AN Adam Neder Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1890 JA James Anderson Jr. Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 CT Charles Taylor First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1882 JS John Henry Shingle First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 FM Fred Myers Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1891 TF Thomas Hall Forsyth First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876
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.