Hermann Emil Fichter (March 30, 1845 – August 5, 1912) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 3rd U.S. Cavalry during the Apache Wars. He was one of five men received the Medal of Honor for gallantry battling the Apache Indians in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona on May 5, 1871.
Hermann Fichter | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 30, 1845 Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany |
| Died | August 5, 1912 (aged 67) Quincy, Illinois, United States |
| Place of burial | Saint Boniface Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | c. 1870–1871 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | 3rd U.S. Cavalry |
| Battles / wars | Indian Wars Apache Wars |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Biography
editHermann Emil Fichter was born in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany on March 30, 1845. He emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army in New York City, New York. He was assigned to frontier duty in the Arizona Territory with the 3rd U.S. Cavalry and took part in the Apache Wars. On May 5, 1871, Fichter was cited for "gallantry in action" while fighting the Apache in the Whetstone Mountains. He was one of five members of his regiment, including Sergeant John Mott, Private John Kilmartin, Private Daniel H. Miller and Private John P. Yount, to receive the Medal of Honor at the end of the year.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] After leaving the army, Fichter settled in Quincy, Illinois and died there on August 5, 1912, at the age of 67. He was interred at Saint Boniface Cemetery.[8]
Medal of Honor citation
editRank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., May 5, 1871. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: November 13, 1871.
Citation:
Gallantry in action.[9]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1973, 93rd Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1973. (pg. 289)
- ^ 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
- ^ Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 267) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
- ^ 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. 27) ISBN 0-935269-07-X
- ^ Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 144) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
- ^ Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for Hermann Fichter". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: Hermann Fichter". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "Photo of Grave site of MOH Recipient Hermann Fichter". Medal of Honor recipient Gravesites In The State of Illinois. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
Further reading
edit- 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
External links
edit- "Hermann Fichter". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 29, 2010.