Private Patton George Whitehead, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on October 21, 1876 at Cedar Creek, etc., Montana during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company C, 5th U.S. Infantry. Whitehead was 36 years old.
29 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 18, 1877. He later rose to the rank of Corporal.
Whitehead was born on September 25, 1840 in Russell County, Virginia. His Medal of Honor is credited to Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Whitehead died on December 8, 1900 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 60. He is buried at New Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Records also list him as Whited, Patton George.
Whitehead is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 44 credited to Kentucky.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Gallantry in action.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Places
- Buried: Calvary Cemetery — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Kentucky →
Timeline
- September 25, 1840Born in Russell County, Virginia
- October 21, 1876Act of valor — Cedar Creek, etc., MontanaAge 36. Company C, 5th U.S. Infantry
- July 18, 1877Medal of Honor presented
- December 8, 1900Died in Los Angeles, CaliforniaAge 60.
- Resting placeNew Calvary CemeteryLos Angeles, California
Biography
Patton George Whitehead (1840–1900) was an American soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during campaigns against Native Americans in Montana from 1876 to 1877.
From the Wikipedia article “Patton G. Whitehead”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
