b. 15/07/1869 Frankfurt, Germany. d. 19/01/1919 Mattapan, Massachusetts.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 29/12/1890 Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
Paul H Weinert MOH
Paul H. Weinert was born in Frankfurt, Germany on July 15, 1869. He later emigrated to the United States and joined the United States Army from Baltimore, Maryland in November 1886 (claiming to be 21 because he was underage). He was assigned to Battery E of the 1st U.S. Artillery and became a Corporal by age 20.
Weinert was present at the Wounded Knee Massacre when, on the morning of December 29, 1890, members of the 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment surrounded the camp of the Sioux chieftain Big Foot in order to apprehend weapons from his band. His unit, consisting of four Hotchkiss guns, moved in after the fighting started and began giving artillery support to the cavalry troops. When his commanding officer, Lieutenant Harry Hawthorne, was severely wounded he assumed command and, with another soldier, directed artillery fire and successfully cleared out a key position, a ravine “pocket”, supposedly occupied by a number of the Sioux warriors. He and the second cannoneer remained under heavy fire during the battle, at one point causing a round to be knocked out of Weinert’s hands as he was about to load, resulting in the gun carriage being riddled with bullets. The two continued manually moving the cannon with each discharge to move it into a better position until the end of the battle. For his actions, he received the Medal of Honor along with four other artillerymen. He was discharged in 1895, and served again from 1898 until 1899.
More recent reports have shown that unarmed civilians were hiding in the ravine, and that “Weiner’s firing inflicted terrible damage, undoubtedly killing and wounding many women and children.”
Weinert died in Milton, Massachusetts on January 19, 1919, at the age of 49. He is one of two MOH recipients, along with Edward A. Gisburne, interred at Milton Cemetery.
MOH CITATION:
Taking the place of his commanding officer, who had fallen severely wounded, he gallantly served his piece, after each fire advancing it to a better position.
BURIAL LOCATION; MILTON CEMETERY, MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
LINDEN PATH, LOT 906.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
