Second Lieutenant Oscar Fitzalan Long, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on September 30, 1877 at Bear Paw Mountain, Montana during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with 5th U.S. Infantry. Long was 25 years old.
8 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on March 22, 1895, 17 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brigadier General, Ret..
Long was born on June 16, 1852 in Utica, Oneida County, New York. Long died on December 23, 1928 in Piedmont, California, at the age of 76. He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.
Long 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
Having been directed to order a troop of cavalry to advance, and finding both its officers killed, he voluntarily assumed command, and under a heavy fire from the Indians advanced the troop to its proper position.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Indian Wars.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Education: United States Military Academy
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- June 16, 1852Born in Utica, Oneida County, New York
- September 30, 1877Act of valor — Bear Paw Mountain, MontanaAge 25. 5th U.S. Infantry
- March 22, 1895Medal of Honor presented
- December 23, 1928Died in Piedmont, CaliforniaAge 76.
- Resting placeMountain View CemeteryOakland, California
Biography
Oscar Fitzalan Long (June 16, 1852 – December 23, 1928) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on September 30, 1877, near Bear Paw Mountain, Montana. An 1876 graduate of West Point, he served in the Army until 1904.
From the Wikipedia article “Oscar Fitzalan Long”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
