Neil Bancroft
Neil Bancroft | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1846 Black Hills War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Neil Bancroft (1846–1901) was an American soldier in the
Black Hills War. In 1878, he was one of 22 soldiers who received the Medal of Honor at the Battle of the Little Bighorn and who carried water "under a most galling fire" from the Little Bighorn River to the wounded soldiers on Reno Hill.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Bancroft left military service two months before the men of his regiment were issued the award. His medal was returned to the War Department because of this and, consequently, he remained unaware that he was an MOH recipient. When it was finally decided to locate him years later, it was found that Bancroft had died.[3]
Biography
Neil Bancroft was born in
Smithsonian Museum
in Washington, D.C. where it remains to the present day.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Little Big Horn, Mont., June 25, 1876. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Birth: Oswego, N.Y. Date of issue: October 5, 1878.
Citation:
Brought water for the wounded under a most galling fire.[17]
See also
References
- ^ a b Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. (pg. 221)
- ^ a b Dustin, Fred. The Custer Tragedy: Events Leading Up To and Following the Little Big Horn Campaign of 1876. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, 1939. (pg. 231)
- ^ a b c Chandler, Melbourne C. Of GarryOwen in Glory: The History of the Seventh United States Cavalry Regiment. Annandale, Virginia: The Turnpike Press, 1960. (pg. 397, 432)
- ^ ISBN 0-87062-108-4
- ^ ISBN 0-8154-0500-6
- ^ ISBN 0-8425-0399-4
- ^ ISBN 0-939526-19-0
- ^ ISBN 0-935269-07-X
- ^ ISBN 0-88839-288-5
- ^ ISBN 1-882810-34-1
- ^ ISBN 0-8061-3507-7
- ^ ISBN 0-8117-0477-7
- ^ ISBN 1-59416-016-3
- ^ ISBN 0-8061-3834-3
- ^ a b Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for Neil Bancroft". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ^ a b Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: Neil Bancroft". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ^ "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
Further reading
- Thompson, John H. (March 19, 1950). "Lost Hero of the Little Big Horn". Chicago Tribune.