b. 10/09/1845 Seprais, Switzerland. d. 03/09/1925 Yountville, California.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 11/11/1868 Cienaga Springs, Utah Territory.
Stickoffer was born in Switzerland in 1845, and later emigrated to the United States where he settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. He joined the United States Army from that city in November 1866 and was assigned to Company L of the 8th U.S. Cavalry Regiment as a saddler. Sent to the Utah Territory for frontier duty, he took part in campaigns against the Ute, Paiute and Navajo tribes under led the Ute chieftain Antonga Black Hawk. On November 11, 1868, he and members of the 8th U.S. Cavalry battled the Indians at Cienaga Springs. Stickoffer won distinction during the fight and was awarded the Medal of Honor for “gallantry in action” on March 3, 1870. He was the only one to receive the award during the U.S. Army’s entire Indian campaign in Utah. He was discharged in November 1871. He re-enlisted in February 1872, but deserted in September of that year, eventually moved to Yountville, California where he lived until his death on September 3, 1925. He is one of three MOH winners, along with Sergeants Joseph Leonard and John Moriarity, buried at Veterans Memorial Grove Cemetery.
MOH CITATION:
Gallantry in action.
BURIAL LOCATION: VETERANS HOME OF CALIFORNIA CEMETERY, YOUNTVILLE, CALIFORNIA.
SECTION E, ROW 2, GRAVE 8.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
