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Richard Barrett (Medal of Honor)

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Richard Barrett
Army Medal of Honor, 1862–1895[1]
Born1838
County Mayo, Ireland
DiedMarch 20, 1898(1898-03-20) (aged 60)
Washington, D.C., United States
Place of burial
US Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of servicec. 1872–c. 1875
RankFirst Sergeant
Unit1st U.S. Cavalry
Battles / warsIndian Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

First Sergeant Richard Barrett (1838 – March 20, 1898) was an Irish-born American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment during the Indian Wars. He was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Apache Wars when he voluntarily led a charge against a group of hostile Tonto Apaches at Sycamore Canyon on May 23, 1872.

Biography

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Richard Barrett was born in County Mayo, Ireland in 1838. He eventually emigrated to the United States and settled in Buffalo, New York. It was there that Barrett enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to Company A of the 1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment. By 1872, he had risen to the rank of first sergeant. On May 23 of that year, while posted to the Arizona Territory, Barrett volunteered to lead a charge against a group of renegade Tonto Apaches at Sycamore Canyon. He was cited for "conspicuous gallantry" and recommended for the Medal of Honor for his actions[2][3][4] which he officially received on April 12, 1875.[5] Barrett moved to Washington, D.C. after his retirement from military service. He died there on March 20, 1898, at the age of 60. He was interred at the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery.[6][7]

Medal of Honor citation

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Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company A, 1st U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sycamore Canyon, Ariz., May 23, 1872. Entered service at: --. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: April 12, 1875.

Citation:

Consplcuous gallantry in a charge upon the Tonto Apaches.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tales of Honor Podcast". Tales of Honor Podcast.
  2. ^ 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. 539)
  3. ^ Manning, Robert, ed. Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-939526-19-0
  4. ^ Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 148) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
  5. ^ Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for Richard Barrett". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com.
  6. ^ Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "Photo of Grave site of MOH Recipient Richard Barrett". Medal of Honor Recipient Gravesites In Washington, D.C. HomeofHeroes.com.
  7. ^ Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: Richard Barrett". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com.
  8. ^ "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

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  • Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81170-7
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