Christopher Freemeyer

Private Christopher Freemeyer (1838 – October 14, 1894) was a German-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 5th U.S. Infantry during the Indian Wars. He was one of thirty-one men who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during General Nelson A. Miles campaign against the Sioux Indians in the Montana Territory from October 1876 to January 1877.

Christopher Freemeyer
Born1838
Bavaria, Germany
DiedOctober 14, 1894(1894-10-14) (aged 56)
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Place of burial
Cypress Hills National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of servicec. 1876–1877
RankPrivate
Unit5th U.S. Infantry
Battles/warsIndian Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

Biography

Christopher Freemeyer was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1838. Emigrating to the United States, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in New York City, New York and joined Company D of the 5th U.S. Infantry. Freemeyer was assigned to frontier duty in the Montana Territory and took part in General Nelson A. Miles "winter campaign" against the Sioux lasting from October 21, 1876 to January 8, 1877. He distinguished himself in several engagements with the Sioux during this period, most notably, at the Battle of Cedar Creek. On April 27, 1877, Freemeyer was one of thirty-one soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for "gallantry in actions".[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] After leaving the army, he returned to New York where he died on October 14, 1894, at the age of 56. Freemeyer was interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn.[8]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, Company D, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Cedar Creek, etc., Mont., October 21, 1876 to January 8, 1877. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: April 27, 1877.

Citation:

Gallantry in action.[9]

See also

References
  1. Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. (pg. 233)
  2. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. (pg. 283)
  3. Manning, Robert, ed. Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985. (pg. 325) ISBN 0-939526-19-0
  4. Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 396) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
  5. O'Neal, Bill. Fighting Men of the Indian Wars: A Biographical Encyclopedia of the Mountain Men, Soldiers, Cowboys, and Pioneers Who Took Up Arms During America's Westward Expansion. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Barbed Wire Press, 1991. (pg. 31) ISBN 0-935269-07-X
  6. Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for Christopher Freemeyer". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  7. Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: Christopher Freemeyer". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  8. Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "Photo of Grave site of MOH Recipient Christopher Freemeyer". Medal of Honor recipient Gravesites In The State of. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  9. "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.

Further reading
  • Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81170-7
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