b. 21/06/1858 San Francisco, California. d. 17/12/1936 Phoenix, Arizona.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 11/09/1881 Fort Apache, Arizona Territory.
Will C Barnes MOH
He was born on June 21, 1858 in San Francisco, California, and was the author of Arizona Place Names and associate editor of Arizona Historical Review, both published by the University of Arizona Press. He joined the Army from Washington, D.C. in July 1879, and was discharged with the rank of Sergeant in July 1883. He had received his Medal of Honor on 8 November 1882. After leaving military service, Barnes worked as a rancher in Arizona, and served in the legislatures of Arizona Territory. He also wrote several books.
Beginning in 1907 he served for twenty-one years in the United States Forest Service. In this capacity he and a companion traveled across southern Texas to round up the last of the Longhorn cattle, thus saving the breed from extinction. The Longhorns were shipped to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
MOH CITATION:
Bravery in action.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 6, GRAVE 9754
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
