Augustus Walley

Augustus Walley (March 10, 1856 – April 9, 1938) was a Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Indian Wars of the western United States.

Augustus Walley
Augustus Walley when he was with the 10th Cavalry, c. 1898
Born(1856-03-10)March 10, 1856
Reistertown, Maryland
DiedApril 9, 1938(1938-04-09) (aged 82)
Baltimore, Maryland
Place of burial
Saint Luke's Cemetery in Reisterstown, Maryland
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1878 - 1907, 1918 - 1919
RankFirst Sergeant
Unit9th Cavalry Regiment
10th Cavalry Regiment
Battles/warsAmerican Indian Wars
Spanish–American War
Philippine–American War
World War I
AwardsMedal of Honor

Biography

Walley was born into slavery in Reisterstown, Maryland in 1856.[1] He joined the army from Baltimore in November 1878.[2]

On August 16, 1881, Walley was serving as a private in Company I of the 9th Cavalry Regiment. On that day, Walley participated in the Battle of Cuchillo Negro Creek in the Black Range Mountains near Cuchillo Negro Creek of New Mexico, where he was cited for "[b]ravery in action with hostile Apaches" for helping rescue stranded soldiers under heavy fire. His Lieutenant, George Ritter Burnett, and First Sergeant Moses Williams also received the Medal of Honor for their actions in this battle. Nine years later, on October 1, 1890, he was issued the Medal of Honor for his actions during the engagement.

Walley retired from the army in February 1907, having also served in the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War. In 1918, he volunteered for duty at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, but was turned away because of his age. Walley remained in Beauregard as a laborer for the Army for the remainder of the first world war.[1] He died at age 82 and was buried at Saint Luke's Cemetery in Reisterstown, Maryland.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Private, Company I, 9th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Cuchillo Negro Mountains, N. Mex., August 16, 1881. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Reistertown, Md. Date of issue: October 1, 1890.[3]

Citation:

Bravery in action with hostile Apaches.

See also

References
 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. Schubert, Frank N. (1997). Black Valor: Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor, 1870-1898. Scholarly Resources Inc. p. 87. ISBN 9780842025867.
  2. Register of Enlistments in the US Army, 1798-1914
  3. "Indian War Period Medal of Honor recipients". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
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