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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

James Lowthers

Private James Lowthers, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 23, 1875 at Sappa Creek, Kansas during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns April 23, 1875

Private James Lowthers, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry 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. Lowthers was about 23 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.

Lowthers was born in 1852 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Lowthers is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 265 credited to Massachusetts.

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. 1852
    Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
  2. April 23, 1875
    Act of valor — Sappa Creek, Kansas
    Age about 23. Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry
  3. November 16, 1876
    Medal of Honor presented

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 FP Frederick Platten Sergeant · 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 Massachusetts

BS Benjamin F. Stewart Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 Thomas Joseph Callen Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 FN Frederick S. Neilon Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1874 Lloyd Milton Brett Second Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1880 JR Joseph Robinson First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 Francis Safford Dodge Captain · 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.