b. 11/06/1850 Boydton, Virginia. d. 31/01/1904 Washington DC.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 02/10/1879 Milk River, Colorado.
Henry Johnson MOH
Johnson was originally from Boydton, Virginia. In 1866, he enlisted in the Army at Detroit, Michigan as an original member of F Troop of the 10th Cavalry. He fought with the 10th against the Cheyenne on the Republican River. Johnson joined D Troop of the 9th Cavalry in June 1877, where the troop was stationed at Fort Wallace. The troop was patrolling southern Colorado at the time of the Meeker Massacre.
While serving as a Sergeant in Company D, 9th U.S. Cavalry at Milk River, Colorado, he earned his Medal during the days of October 2-5, 1879. He was one of only eighteen black soldiers to win the Medal during the Indian Wars. Of the eighteen recipients, eleven were presented to enlisted men of the Ninth U. S. Cavalry. The others being Sergeant Thomas Boyne, Sergeant John Denny, Corporal Clinton Greaves, Sergeant George Jordan, Sergeant Thomas Shaw, Sergeant Emanuel Stance, Private Augustus Walley, Sergeant Moses Williams, Corporal William O. Wilson, and Sergeant Brent Woods.
Shortly after the 5th Cavalry arrived on October 5, 1879, Johnson and D Troop of the 9th Cavalry headed to New Mexico and spent the next two years fighting the Apaches in Victorio’s War. He was discharged in January 1883 at Fort Riley. Johnson reenlisted two months later with the 10th Cavalry and was stationed at Fort Grant to once again fight the Apaches. After this five-year enlistment ended in 1888, he rejoined the 9th Cavalry in K Troop.
He finally received his Medal of Honor on September 22, 1890. K Troop patrolled the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation for four months in the winter of 1890–1891 before it was moved to Fort Myer in Virginia. K Troop returned to Fort Robinson in 1893. Johnson’s final five-year enlistment with K Troop ended in 1898, before the troop was sent to Cuba for the Spanish–American War. He retired that same year to Washington, D.C.
MOH CITATION:
Voluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close-range made the rounds of the pits to instruct the guards; fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 23, GRAVE 16547.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: BELIEVED TO BE FAMILY.
