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COL Samuel Russell
to remember
Moylan, Myles (MOH), MAJ USA(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Amesbury
Date of Passing Dec 11, 1909
Location of Interment Greenwood Memorial Park - San Diego, California
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain Myles Moylan, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 30 September 1877, while serving with 7th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Bear Paw Mountain, Montana. Captain Moylan gallantly led his command in action against Nez Perce Indians until he was severely wounded.
Other Comments:
Major Myles Moylan, U.S.A., Retired, died at his home in this city, Second and Ive streets at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He leaves a widow but no children. The decedent had a long and distinguished career in the regular service and about two years in the Fourth Massachusetts Volunteers during the war of the rebellion. Major Moulan was born in Amesburg,Mass., Dec 17, 1833 and his military service dating back to June 8, 1857, including participationin the expidition to Utah under Gen. Sidney Johnson in 1858, the Indian campaigns up to 1860 and the civil war 1861 to 1865. He was brevetted major in April 1865, for distinguished service in the United States volunteers and served in the many Indian Campaigns against the various tribes in Kansas and Indian Territory with the famous Seventh United States cavalry under command of General Custer.
FOUGHT IN SIOUX CAMPAIGN
Major Moylan was a captain in the Seventh cavalry in the Campaign against the Sioux Indians which was commanded by General Custer and whichresulted in the masacre of the greater porton of that regiment in 1876 by Sitting Bull and his Sioux Tribe.
Moylan, then a captain, was with Reno's battalion which fought for several days and nights the entire Sioux combination, after Custer's battalion had been annihilated and was finally rescued by the timely arrival of General Terry's command, but not until the lives of many brave soldiers and officers of Reno's battalion too had been sacrificed.
Later on Major Moylan was actively engaged in the campaign against Chief Joseph and in the fight with these indians at Woonded Knee the major's command was greatly distinguished and he was given a medal of honor by congress
for bravery in this action.
He was a companion of the Grand Army of the Republic and a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion.
FUNERAL NEXT TUESDAY
Funeral services over the remains will be held at Johnson & Connell's parlors next Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock. His friends and companions of the Grand Army of the Republic and members of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion are invited. Members of the Loyal Legion will wear the gold insignia of the order. The interment will be private at Greenwood cemetery. Major
Moylan had been a resident of this city for about sixteen years.
NEWS ARTICLE SAN DIEGO UNION DECEMBER 12 1909 PAGE 5
Wounded Knee Massacre
From Month/Year
December / 1890
To Month/Year
December / 1890
Description The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the U.S. state of South Dakota.
The previous day, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M. Whitside intercepted Spotted Elk's band of Miniconjou Lakota and 38 Hunkpapa Lakota near Porcupine Butte and escorted them 5 miles (8.0 km) westward to Wounded Knee Creek, where they made camp. The remainder of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, led by Colonel James W. Forsyth, arrived and surrounded the encampment. The regiment was supported by a battery of four Hotchkiss mountain guns.
On the morning of December 29, the troops went into the camp to disarm the Lakota. One version of events claims that during the process of disarming the Lakota, a deaf tribesman named Black Coyote was reluctant to give up his rifle, claiming he had paid a lot for it. A scuffle over the rifle ensued, causing several Lakota to draw their weapons and open fire on the cavalry regiment. The situation quickly devolved as both sides began firing indiscriminately. By the time the battle was over, more than 150 men, women, and children of the Lakota had been killed and 51 were wounded (4 men and 47 women and children, some of whom died later); some estimates placed the number of dead at 300. Twenty-five soldiers also died, and 39 were wounded (6 of the wounded later died). At least twenty soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor. In 2001, the National Congress of American Indians passed two resolutions condemning the awards and called on the U.S. government to rescind them. The site of the battlefield has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1990, both houses of the U.S. Congress passed a resolution formally expressing "deep regret" for the massacre.
