Saddler Otto Emil Voit was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 25, 1876 in Little Big Horn, Montana during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company H, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Voit was 31 years old.
22 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 5, 1878, 2 years after the action.
Voit was born on February 5, 1845 in Baden, Germany — one of 130 recipients born in Germany. His Medal of Honor is credited to Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Voit died on June 1, 1905 in Louisville, Kentucky, at the age of 60. He is buried at St. Stephen's Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.
Voit is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 44 credited to Kentucky.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Volunteered with George Geiger, Charles Windolph, and Henry Mechlin to hold an exposed position standing erect on the brow of the hill facing the Little Big Horn River. They fired constantly in this manner for more than 20 minutes diverting fire and attention from another group filling canteens of water that were desperately needed.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Indian Wars.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Kentucky →
Timeline
- February 5, 1845Born in Baden, Germany
- June 25, 1876Act of valor — Little Big Horn, MontanaAge 31. Company H, 7th U.S. Cavalry
- October 5, 1878Medal of Honor presented
- June 1, 1905Died in Louisville, KentuckyAge 60.
- Resting placeSt. Stephen's CemeteryLouisville, Kentucky
Biography
Otto Emil Voit (February 5, 1845 – June 1, 1906) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
From the Wikipedia article “Otto Voit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
