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First Sergeant · U.S. Army

Rudolph Stauffer

First Sergeant Rudolph Stauffer, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions in 1872 at Camp Hualpai, Arizona Territory during the Indian Campaigns.

First Sergeant Rudolph Stauffer was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in 1872 at Camp Hualpai, Arizona Territory during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Company K, 5th U.S. Cavalry. Stauffer was about 36 years old.

The medal was presented on July 30, 1875, 3 years after the action.

Stauffer was born on November 27, 1836 in Berne, Switzerland — one of 6 recipients born in Switzerland. His Medal of Honor is credited to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. Stauffer died on June 9, 1918 in Washington, District of Columbia, at the age of 81. He is buried at Soldier's Home National Cemetery in Washington, District of Columbia.

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

Official Medal of Honor citation

Gallantry on scouts after Indians.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Indian Wars, Apache Wars.

Places

  • Born: Bern — map
  • Died: Washington, D.C. — map
  • Buried: Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Ohio →

Timeline

  1. November 27, 1836
    Born in Berne, Switzerland
  2. 1872
    Act of valor — Camp Hualpai, Arizona Territory
    Age about 36. Company K, 5th U.S. Cavalry
  3. July 30, 1875
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. June 9, 1918
    Died in Washington, District of Columbia
    Age 81.
  5. Resting place
    Soldier's Home National Cemetery
    Washington, District of Columbia

Biography

First Sergeant Rudolph Stauffer (November 27, 1836 – June 9, 1918) was a Swiss-born American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 5th U.S. Cavalry in the Apache Wars. He was one of twelve soldiers, along with ten Apache Scouts, awarded the Medal of Honor during Lieutenant Colonel George Crook's "winter campaign" of 1872–73, being cited for gallantry in battle against renegade Apaches near Camp Hualpai. Charles King, while serving with the 5th U.S. Cavalry in his youth, wrote of him in his memoirs as "grim old Stauffer, the first sergeant".

From the Wikipedia article “Rudolph Stauffer”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Same unit

More Indian Campaigns recipients from Ohio

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.