William Frederick "buffalo bill" Cody

Guide William Frederick "buffalo bill" Cody, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on April 26, 1872 at Loupe Fork of the Platte River, Nebraska during the Indian Campaigns. At the time he was serving with Indian Scouts attached to 3d U.S. Cavalry. Cody was 26 years old.

3 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 22, 1872. Medal issued in 1872; Cody's Medal of Honor was rescinded following the 1916-1917 review of Army Medal of Honor awards as he was a civilian at the time of his valor; he was restored to the Medal of Honor Roll in 1989. He later rose to the rank of Civilian.

Cody was born on February 16, 1846 in Scott County, Iowa. His Medal of Honor is credited to Fort McPherson, Lincoln County, Nebraska. Cody died on January 10, 1917 in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 70. He is buried at Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado. His medal is held by Buffalo Bill Museum, Lookout Mountain, CO ; Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY.

Cody is one of 426 Medal of Honor recipients from the Indian Campaigns and one of 20 credited to Nebraska.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Gallantry in action.

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

How he died

Manner of death: natural causes
Cause of death: kidney failure
Age at death: 70
Resting place: Lookout Mountain

Cause and manner of death: Wikidata.

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Life beyond the battlefield

Occupations: hunter, stage actor, businessperson, showman, actor, writer

Source: Wikidata.

Places

Born: Le Claire — map
Died: Denver — map
Buried: Lookout Mountain — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Nebraska →

Timeline

February 16, 1846
Born in Scott County, Iowa
April 26, 1872
Act of valor — Loupe Fork of the Platte River, Nebraska
Age 26. Indian Scouts attached to 3d U.S. Cavalry
May 22, 1872
Medal of Honor presented
Medal issued in 1872; Cody's Medal of Honor was rescinded following the 1916-1917 review of Army Medal of Honor awards as he was a civilian at the time of his valor; he was restored to the Medal of Honor Roll in 1989.
January 10, 1917
Died in Denver, Colorado
Age 70.
Resting place
Lookout Mountain
Golden, Colorado

Biography

William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody began performing at the age of 23. He performed in shows that displayed cowboy themes and episodes from the frontier and Indian Wars. He founded Buffalo Bill's Wild West in 1883, taking his large company on tours in the United States and, beginning in 1887, in Europe.

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

Named in his honor

Buffalo Bill — film character, fictional human
Buffalo Bill Dam — hydroelectric power station, dam
Buffalo Bills — American football team
Cody — city in the United States, county seat
Fort Cody Trading Post — sylvan theater, gift shop

Also honored for actions on April 26, 1872

JF John H. Foley Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1872 WS William H. Strayer Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1872 LV Leroy H. Vokes First Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1872

More Indian Campaigns recipients from Nebraska

FL Frank W. Lohnes Private · Army Indian Campaigns · 1865 CC Co-Rux-Te-Chod-Ish (Mad Bear) Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1869 JK John A. Kirkwood Sergeant · Army Indian Campaigns · 1876

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.