Indian Wars Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during the Indian Wars as a First Lieutenant in Company K, 7th United States Cavalry, during the 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn, which he survived. The son of Charles and Mary Chambers Godfrey, he enlisted on April 26. 1861 in Company D, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was then appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1863, and graduated 53rd of 63 in the Class of 1867. Appointed 2nd Lieutenant and posted top the 7th Cavalry on June 17. 1867, he participate in the Washita Campaign of 1868. He then served at Yorkville, South Carolina on detached duty from 1871 to 1873 before rejoining the unit for the 1873 Yellowstone Expedition, and the 1874 Black Hills Expedition. During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, he was commanding Company K of Captain Frederick Benteen's Battalion, and survived the battle. He fought in the 1877 Nez Perce campaign and the 1890 Snake River campaign, and was awarded the Medal of Honor on November 27, 1894 for his valor on September 30, 1877 during the Snake Creek battle in Bear Paw Mountain, Montana, (his citation reads simply “Led his command into action when he was severely wounded”). He served as an instructor of cavalry tactics at West Point from 1879 to 1883, fought at Wounded Knee in 1890, participated in the Spanish American War in Cuba, and fought in Philippine Insurrection from 1901 to 1903. He was promoted to Brigadier General on January 17. 1907, and was named commander of the Department of Missouri. Less than a year later, he retired on October 9, 1907, at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Indian Wars Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during the Indian Wars as a First Lieutenant in Company K, 7th United States Cavalry, during the 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn, which he survived. The son of Charles and Mary Chambers Godfrey, he enlisted on April 26. 1861 in Company D, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was then appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1863, and graduated 53rd of 63 in the Class of 1867. Appointed 2nd Lieutenant and posted top the 7th Cavalry on June 17. 1867, he participate in the Washita Campaign of 1868. He then served at Yorkville, South Carolina on detached duty from 1871 to 1873 before rejoining the unit for the 1873 Yellowstone Expedition, and the 1874 Black Hills Expedition. During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, he was commanding Company K of Captain Frederick Benteen's Battalion, and survived the battle. He fought in the 1877 Nez Perce campaign and the 1890 Snake River campaign, and was awarded the Medal of Honor on November 27, 1894 for his valor on September 30, 1877 during the Snake Creek battle in Bear Paw Mountain, Montana, (his citation reads simply “Led his command into action when he was severely wounded”). He served as an instructor of cavalry tactics at West Point from 1879 to 1883, fought at Wounded Knee in 1890, participated in the Spanish American War in Cuba, and fought in Philippine Insurrection from 1901 to 1903. He was promoted to Brigadier General on January 17. 1907, and was named commander of the Department of Missouri. Less than a year later, he retired on October 9, 1907, at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson
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