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Second Lieutenant · U.S. Army

Matthias Walter Day

Second Lieutenant Matthias Walter Day, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on September 18, 1879 at Las Animas Canyon, New Mexico during the Indian Campaigns.

Indian Campaigns September 18, 1879

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Second Lieutenant Matthias Walter Day received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 18, 1879 at Las Animas Canyon, New Mexico during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with 9th U.S. Cavalry. Day was 26 years old.

2 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 7, 1890, 10 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Colonel, Ret..

Day was born on August 8, 1853 in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio. His Medal of Honor is credited to Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio. Day died on September 12, 1927 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 74. He is buried at San Francisco National Cemetery in San Francisco, California.

Day is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 256 credited to Ohio.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Advanced alone into the enemy's lines and carried off a wounded soldier of his command under a hot fire and after he had been ordered to retreat.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: Philippine–American War, American Indian Wars.

Life beyond the battlefield

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Mansfield — map
  • Died: Los Angeles — map
  • Buried: San Francisco National Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Ohio →

Timeline

  1. August 8, 1853
    Born in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio
  2. September 18, 1879
    Act of valor — Las Animas Canyon, New Mexico
    Age 26. 9th U.S. Cavalry
  3. May 7, 1890
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. September 12, 1927
    Died in Los Angeles, California
    Age 74.
  5. Resting place
    San Francisco National Cemetery
    San Francisco, California

Biography

Matthias W. Day (August 8, 1853 – September 12, 1927) was a career American army officer who received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration, for his actions during the American Indian Wars in the latter half of the 19th century. Day was a longtime officer with the African-American 9th Cavalry Regiment, seeing action during the Apache Wars against the Apache leaders Victorio and Geronimo. Day later achieved fame as a marksman while participating in the U.S. Army's annual rifle marksmanship contest, and served in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War.

From the Wikipedia article “Matthias W. Day”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on September 18, 1879

JD John Denny Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1879 Robert Temple Emmet Second Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1879

Same unit

George Ritter Burnett Second Lieutenant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1881

More Indian Campaigns recipients from Ohio

NM Nicholas Meaher Corporal · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 Orizoba Spence Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 PL Patrick James Leonard Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1870 JS Julius Henry Stickoffer Saddler · Army Indian Campaigns · 1868 RH Rufus D. Hutchinson Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876 TS Thomas Sullivan Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869
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.