List of foreign-born Medal of Honor recipients
Indian Wars
Table:
Image

Name

Country of birth

Rank

Branch

Place of action

Date of action

Notes/Reference

James Anderson

Canada

Private

Army

Near Wichita River, Texas

October 5, 1870

Born as James Anderson Smythe

Richard Barrett

Ireland

First Sergeant

Army

Sycamore Canyon, Arizona

May 23, 1872

James J. Bell

Ireland

Private

Army

Big Horn, Montana

July 9, 1876

Frederick Bergendahl

Sweden

Private

Army

Staked Plains, Texas

December 8, 1874

Frank Bratling*

Germany

Corporal

Army

Fort Selden, New Mexico

July 8, 1873 – July 11, 1873

James Brogan

Ireland

Sergeant

Army

Simon Valley, Arizona

December 14, 1877

Oscar Burkard

Germany

Private

Army

Near Leech Lake, Minnesota

October 5, 1898

Edmond Butler

Ireland

Captain

Army

Wolf Mountains, Montana

January 8, 1877

Denis Byrne

Ireland

Sergeant

Army

Cedar Creek, Montana

October 1876 – January 1877

Thomas J. Callan

Ireland

Private

Army

Little Bighorn, Montana

June 25, 1876 – June 26, 1876

John Connor

Ireland

Corporal

Army

Near Wichita River, Texas

July 12, 1870

William Evans

Ireland

Private

Army

Big Horn, Montana

July 9, 1876

Henry Falcott

France

Sergeant

Army

Arizona Territory

August – October 1868

Daniel Farren

Ireland

Private

Army

Arizona Territory

August – October 1868

James Fegan

Ireland

Sergeant

Army

Plum Creek, Kansas

March 1868

Hermann Fichter

Germany

Private

Army

Whetstone Mountains, Arizona

May 5, 1871

John H. Foley

Ireland

Sergeant

Army

Near Platte River, Nebraska

April 26, 1872

Nicholas Foran

Ireland

Private

Army

Arizona Territory

August – October 1868

William Foster

England, United Kingdom

Sergeant

Army

Near Red River, Texas

September 29, 1872

Christopher Freemeyer

Germany

Private

Army

Cedar Creek, Montana

October 21, 1876 – January 8, 1877

By analysing the provided table along with the article excerpts listed at the end.

Answer the following question: The first Irish born recipient of the award led a charge against what people ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

James Anderson ( May 28 , 1849 - May 31 , 1918 ) , born James Anderson Smythe , was a Canadian-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Texas-Indian Wars . He was one of six men received the Medal of Honor for gallantry against a hostile band of Plains Indians at the Wichita River in Texas on October 5 , 1870 .
A private is a soldier of the lowest military rank ( equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in ) . In modern military writing , private is abridged to Pte in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth of Nations countries and to Pvt in the United States .
The United States Army ( USA ) is the land warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces . It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services , and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution . As the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence , the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army , which was formed ( 14 June 1775 ) to fight the American Revolutionary War ( 1775-1783 ) - before the United States of America was established as a country . After the Revolutionary War , the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army . The United States Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army , and considers its institutional inception to be the origin of that armed force in 1775 . As a uniformed military service , the U.S. Army is part of the Department of the Army , which is one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense . The U.S. Army is headed by a civilian senior appointed civil servant , the secretary of the Army ( SECARMY ) and by a chief military officer , the chief of staff of the Army ( CSA ) who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . It is the largest military branch , and in the fiscal year 2017 , the projected end strength for the Regular Army ( USA ) was 476,000 soldiers ; the Army National Guard ( ARNG ) had 343,000 soldiers and the U.S. Army Reserve ( USAR ) had 199,000 soldiers ; the combined-component strength of the U.S. Army was 1,018,000 soldiers . As a branch of the armed forces , the mission of the U.S. Army is to fight and win our Nation 's wars , by providing prompt , sustained land dominance , across the full range of military operations and the spectrum of conflict , in support of combatant commanders . The branch participates in conflicts worldwide and is the major ground-based offensive and defensive force of the United States .
The Wichita River ( /ˈwɪtʃɪtɔː/ WITCH-i-taw ) , part of the Red River watershed , lies in north-central Texas . Rising in northeastern Knox County at the confluence of its North and South Forks , the river flows 90 miles ( 140 km ) northeast across Baylor , Archer , Wichita , and Clay counties before joining the Red River just west of Byers Bend in northern Clay County . The Texan Santa Fe Expedition crossed the river at the site of present-day Wichita Falls in 1841 and found a large Wichita Indian village at the site ; the river was later named after the tribe . Today , the largest human settlement on the river is the city of Wichita Falls , which was named after a five-foot waterfall on the river that later washed away in a flood in 1886 . The city after nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the non-existent falls built an artificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park . The recreated falls are 54 feet ( 16 m ) high and recirculate at 3,500 gallons per minute . They are visible to south-bound traffic on Interstate 44 .
Texas ( /ˈtɛksəs/ , locally /ˈtɛksɪz/ ; Spanish : Texas or Tejas , pronounced [ ˈtexas ] ( listen ) ) is the second largest state in the United States by area ( after Alaska ) and population ( after California ) . Located in the South Central region , Texas shares borders with the states of Louisiana to the east , Arkansas to the northeast , Oklahoma to the north , New Mexico to the west , and the Mexican states of Chihuahua , Coahuila , Nuevo León , and Tamaulipas to the southwest , and has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast . Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth largest in the U.S. , while San Antonio is the second-most populous in the state and seventh largest in the U.S. Dallas-Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and fifth largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country , respectively . Other major cities include Austin , the second-most populous state capital in the U.S. , and El Paso . Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for its former status as an independent republic , and as a reminder of the state 's struggle for independence from Mexico . The Lone Star can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal . The origin of Texas 's name is from the word taysha , which means friends in the Caddo language . Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault , Texas contains diverse landscapes common to both the U.S. Southern and Southwestern regions . Although Texas is popularly associated with the U.S. southwestern deserts , less than 10% of Texas 's land area is desert . Most of the population centers are in areas of former prairies , grasslands , forests , and the coastline . Traveling from east to west , one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods , to rolling plains and rugged hills , and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend . The term six flags over Texas [ note 1 ] refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory .
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 .
First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank , used in many countries . In NATO armed forces the rank is on OR8 level .
Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country , after Oak Creek Canyon . The 21-mile ( 34 km ) long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about 7 miles ( 11 km ) . It is in North Central Arizona bordering and below the Mogollon Rim , and is located west and northwest of Sedona in Yavapai and Coconino counties .
Arizona ( /ˌærɪˈzoʊnə/ ( listen ) ; Navajo : Hoozdo Hahoodzo Navajo pronunciation : [ xòːztò xɑ̀xòːtsò ] ; O'odham : Alĭ ṣonak Uto-Aztecan pronunciation : [ ˡaɺi ˡʂonak ] ) is a state in the southwestern region of the United States . It is also part of the Western and the Mountain states . It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states . Its capital and largest city is Phoenix . Arizona shares the Four Corners region with Utah , Colorado , and New Mexico ; its other neighboring states are Nevada and California to the west and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest . Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union , achieving statehood on February 14 , 1912 , coinciding with Valentine 's Day . Historically part of the territory of Alta California in New Spain , it became part of independent Mexico in 1821 . After being defeated in the Mexican-American War , Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848 . The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase . Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate , with very hot summers and mild winters . Northern Arizona features forests of pine , Douglas fir , and spruce trees ; the Colorado Plateau ; mountain ranges ( such as the San Francisco Mountains ) ; as well as large , deep canyons , with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls . There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff , Alpine , and Tucson .
James Joseph Bell ( July 1 , 1845 - June 1 , 1901 ) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars . His name is sometimes incorrectly given as James M. Bell .
Montana ( /mɒnˈtænə/ ( listen ) ) is a state in the Northwestern United States . Montana has several nicknames , although none are official , including Big Sky Country and The Treasure State , and slogans that include Land of the Shining Mountains and more recently The Last Best Place . Montana is the fourth-largest in area , the 8th least populous , and the third-least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states . The western half of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges . Smaller island ranges are found throughout the state . In all , 77 named ranges are part of the Rocky Mountains . The eastern half of Montana is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands . Montana is bordered by Idaho to the west , Wyoming to the south , North Dakota and South Dakota to the east , and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia , Alberta , and Saskatchewan to the north . The economy is primarily based on agriculture , including ranching and cereal grain farming . Other significant economic resources include oil , gas , coal , hard rock mining , and lumber . The health care , service , and government sectors also are significant to the state 's economy . The state 's fastest-growing sector is tourism .
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The Llano Estacado ( Spanish : [ ˈʝano estaˈkaðo ] ) , commonly known as the Staked Plains , is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas . One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North American continent , the elevation rises from 3,000 feet ( 900 m ) in the southeast to over 5,000 feet ( 1,500 m ) in the northwest , sloping almost uniformly at about 10 feet per mile ( 1.9 m/km ) .
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations . Within NATO , each member nation 's corresponding military rank of corporal is combined under the NATO-standard rank scale code OR-3 or OR-4 . However , there are often differences in how each nation ( or service in each nation ) employs corporals . Some militaries do n't have corporals , but may instead have a Junior Sergeant . In some militaries , the rank of corporal nominally corresponds to commanding a section or squad of soldiers . However , in the United States Army , the rank of corporal is considered a lateral promotion from E-4 Specialist and usually only occurs when the soldier has been selected by a promotion board to become an E-5 Sergeant and is serving in an E-5 billet such as a fireteam leader in a rifle squad . The lateral promotion is used to make the soldier a non-commissioned officer without changing the soldier 's pay . As the Table of Organization & Equipment ( TO & E ) rank of a fire team leader is sergeant and that of squad leader is staff sergeant . In the United States Marine Corps , corporal is the Table of Organization ( TO ) rank for a rifle fire team leader , machine gun team leader , light mortar squad leader , and assault weapon squad leader , as well as gunner on most larger crew served weapons ( i.e . medium mortars , heavy machine guns , and anti-tank missiles ) , armored vehicles ( e.g . tanks , light armored vehicles , and armored assault vehicles ) , and the two assistant gunners on a howitzer ( the gunner is a sergeant ) . In most countries that derive their military structure from the British military system , corporal is a more senior rank than that of private .
Fort Selden was a United States Army post , occupying the area in what is now Radium Springs , New Mexico . The site was long a campground along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro . It was the site of a Confederate Army camp in 1861 . The U. S. Army established Fort Selden in 1865 for the purpose of protecting westward settlers from Native American raids , the post fell into disrepair after the American Civil War . It was ultimately abandoned in 1891 , due in large part to the decision to expand Fort Bliss and the lack of any expenditures for repair of the facility .
New Mexico ( Spanish : Nuevo México Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈnweβo ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) , Navajo : Yootó Hahoodzo pronounced [ jòːtxó xɑ̀xʷòːtsò ] ) is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States of America ; its capital and cultural center is Santa Fe , which was founded in 1610 as capital of Nuevo México ( itself established as a province of New Spain in 1598 ) , while its largest city is Albuquerque with its accompanying metropolitan area . It is one of the Mountain States and shares the Four Corners region with Utah , Colorado , and Arizona . New Mexico is also bordered by the state of Texas to the east-southeast , Oklahoma to the northeast , and the Mexican states of Chihuahua to the south and Sonora to the southwest . With an estimated population of 2,096,829 as of the July 1 , 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimate , New Mexico is the 36th largest state by population . With a total area of 121,592 sq mi ( 314,920 km2 ) , it is the fifth-largest and sixth-least densely populated of the 50 states . Due to their geographic locations , northern and eastern New Mexico exhibit a colder , alpine climate , while western and southern New Mexico exhibit a warmer , arid climate . The economy of New Mexico is dependent on oil drilling , mineral extraction , dryland farming , cattle ranching , lumber milling , and retail trade . As of 2018 , its total gross domestic product ( GDP ) was $ 101 billion with a GDP per capita of $ 45,465 . New Mexico 's status as a tax haven yields low to moderate personal income taxes on residents and military personnel , and gives tax credits and exemptions to favorable industries . Because of this , its film industry has grown and contributed $ 1.23 billion to its overall economy . Due to its large area and economic climate , New Mexico has a large U.S. military presence marked notably with the White Sands Missile Range . Various U.S. national security agencies base their research and testing arms in New Mexico such as the Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories .
Edward James Brogan ( 1834 - October 30 , 1908 ) was a United States Army soldier who served in the American Indian Wars . He received the Medal of Honor for his service . Brogan was born in County Donegal , Ireland , and later moved to Summit Hill , Pennsylvania . He joined the army in January 1864 , and served with the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry during the American Civil War . By the time of his Medal of Honor action , he was serving as a sergeant in the 6th Cavalry Regiment .
Sergeant ( /ˈsɑː ( r ) dʒənt/ SARJ-ənt ; abbreviated to Sgt . and capitalized when used as a named person 's title ) is a rank in many uniformed organizations , principally military and policing forces . The alternative spelling , serjeant , is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British Light Infantry . Its origin is the Latin serviens , 'one who serves ' , through the French term sergent . The term sergeant refers to a non-commissioned officer placed above the rank of a corporal and a police officer immediately below a lieutenant or , in the UK Police forces , below an inspector . In most armies the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of a squad ( or section ) . In Commonwealth armies , it is a more senior rank , corresponding roughly to a platoon second-in-command . In the United States Army , sergeant is a more junior rank corresponding to a four-soldier fireteam leader . More senior non-commissioned ranks are often variations on sergeant , for example staff sergeant , first sergeant , and sergeant major . Many countries use sergeant rank , whether in English or using a cognate with the same origin in another language . The equivalent rank in Arab armies is raqīb ( رقيب ) , meaning 'overseer ' or 'watcher ' .
Oscar Rudolph Burkard ( December 21 , 1877 - February 18 , 1950 ) was a German-American soldier who served in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars and World War I . In 1899 , he received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Sugar Point . Aside from being the only non-combatant to be decorated from that engagement , Burkard was also the last man to receive the medal during the Indian Wars .
Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota , United States . It is southeast of Bemidji , located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation , and completely within the Chippewa National Forest . It is used as a reservoir . The lake is the third largest in Minnesota , covering 102,947.83 acres ( 416.6151 km2 ) with 195 miles ( 314 km ) of shoreline and has a maximum depth of 156 feet ( 48 m ) .
Minnesota ( /ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə/ ( listen ) ) is a state in the Upper Midwest , Great Lakes , and northern regions of the United States . Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state on May 11 , 1858 , created from the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory . The state has many lakes , and is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes . Its official motto is L'Étoile du Nord ( French : Star of the North ) . Minnesota is the 12th largest in area and the 22nd most populous of the U.S. states ; nearly 55% of its residents live in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area ( known as the Twin Cities ) . This area has the largest concentration of transportation , business , industry , education , and government in the state . Urban centers in Greater Minnesota include Duluth , Mankato , Moorhead , Rochester and St . Cloud . The geography of the state consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture ; deciduous forests in the southeast , now partially cleared , farmed , and settled ; and the less populated North Woods , used for mining , forestry , and recreation . Thousands of years before Europeans arrived , Minnesota was inhabited by various indigenous peoples , some of whom remain in the state today . French explorers , missionaries , and fur traders began exploring the region in the 17th century , encountering the Dakota and Ojibwe/Anishinaabe tribes . Much of what is now Minnesota was part of the vast French holding of Louisiana , which was purchased by the United States in 1803 .
Edmund or Edmond Butler ( March 19 , or September 19 , 1827 - August 21 , 1895 ) was a U.S. Army officer who served with the Union Army during the American Civil War and later became a prominent Indian fighter in the Northern Plains , Rocky Mountains and southwest United States in the post-Civil War era . In 1894 , he was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry against the Sioux and Cheyenne at Battle of Wolf Mountain .
In the United States Army ( USA ) , U.S. Marine Corps ( USMC ) , and U.S. Air Force ( USAF ) , captain ( abbreviated CPT in the USA and Capt in the USMC and USAF ) is a company grade officer rank , with the pay grade of O-3 . It ranks above first lieutenant and below major . It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the Navy/Coast Guard officer rank system . The insignia for the rank consists of two silver bars , with slight stylized differences between the Army/Air Force version and the Marine Corps version .
The Wolf Mountains , el . 4,842 feet ( 1,476 m ) , sometimes referred to by local people as the Rosebud Mountains , and also known to the Crow Indians as the Wolf Teeth Mountains , are a mountain range east of Lodge Grass , Montana in Big Horn County , Montana .
Denis Byrne ( 1833 - December 31 , 1905 ) was an Irish-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 5th U.S. Infantry during the Indian Wars . He was among the 31 soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for during General Nelson A . Miles winter campaign against the Sioux Indians in the Montana Territory between October 1876 and January 1877 .
Thomas Joseph Callan ( July 12 , 1853 - May 5 , 1908 ) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876 .
The Battle of the Little Bighorn , known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass and also commonly referred to as Custer 's Last Stand , was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota , Northern Cheyenne , and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army . The battle , which resulted in the defeat of U.S. forces , was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876 . It took place on June 25-26 , 1876 , along the Little Bighorn River in the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana Territory . The fight was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota , Northern Cheyenne , and Arapaho , who were led by several major war leaders , including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall , and had been inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull ( Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ) . The U.S. 7th Cavalry , a force of 700 men , suffered a major defeat while under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer ( formerly a brevetted major general during the American Civil War ) . Five of the 7th Cavalry 's twelve companies were annihilated and Custer was killed , as were two of his brothers , a nephew and a brother-in-law . The total U.S. casualty count included 268 dead and 55 severely wounded ( six died later from their wounds ) , :244 including four Crow Indian scouts and at least two Arikara Indian scouts . Public response to the Great Sioux War varied in the immediate aftermath of the battle . Libbie Custer , Custer 's widow , soon worked to burnish her husband 's memory , and during the following decades Custer and his troops came to be considered iconic , even heroic , figures in American history . The battle , and Custer 's actions in particular , have been studied extensively by historians . Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument honors those who fought on both sides .
John Connor ( January 1 , 1845 - February 5 , 1907 ) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Indian Wars Connor was born January 1 , 1845 and after joining the United States Army from Jefferson , Texas in July 1869 was assigned to Company H , 6th Cavalry Regiment in the American Indian Wars . He participated in combat in Texas on the Wichita River on July 12 , 1870 , and received the Medal of Honor for what was described as gallantry in action there . He was promoted Sergeant the following December , and was discharged in July 1874 . He re-enlisted in January 1875 , joining the 2nd Artillery Regiment , and served until December 1890 . He died on February 5 , 1907 and is buried in the United States Soldiers ' and Airmen 's Home National Cemetery , Washington , D.C. His grave can be found in section K-7258 .
William Evans ( 1853 - November 26 , 1893 ) was an Irish-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 7th U.S. Infantry during the Black Hills War . He participated in campaigns against the Sioux in the Montana Territory and , at Big Horn from July 9-14 , 1876 , volunteered to deliver critical dispatches between Generals George Crook and Alfred Terry . He later received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions .
Henry Falcott ( 1835 - December 2 , 1910 ) was a French-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 8th U.S. Cavalry during the Apache Wars . He was one of thirty-four men received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in several battles against the Apache Indians in the Arizona Territory from August to October 1868 .
The Territory of Arizona ( also known as Arizona Territory ) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24 , 1863 until February 14 , 1912 , when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Arizona . It was created from the western half of the New Mexico Territory during the American Civil War .
Private Daniel Farren ( born 1848 - unknown ) was an Irish-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 8th U.S. Cavalry during the Apache Wars . He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry fighting the Apache Indians in the Black Mountains of Arizona from August to October 1868 .
Sergeant James Fegan ( 1827 - June 25 , 1886 ) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 2nd and 3rd U.S. Infantry during the American Civil War , and Indian Wars . In March 1868 , while escorting a powder train en route from Fort Harker to Fort Dodge , Kansas , he single-handedly prevented a mob from blowing up the train to free an army deserter . For his efforts , he received the Medal of Honor . Fegan was popular and well known in the military during his lifetime . He was especially noted for his shrewdness and humor , having many colorful stories and anecdotes attributed to him . President Chester A. Arthur spoke of him in a special message to the United States Congress in 1882 . His life and career were among several prominent officers profiled by author Theo F. Rodenbough in his books Uncle Sam 's Medal of Honor ( 1886 ) and Sabre and Bayonet : Stories of Heroism and Military Adventure ( 1897 ) .
Kansas /ˈkænzəs/ ( listen ) is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States . Its capital is Topeka and its largest city is Wichita , with its most populated county and largest employment center being Johnson County . Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north ; Missouri on the east ; Oklahoma on the south ; and Colorado on the west . Kansas is named after the Kansas River , which in turn was named after the Kansa Native Americans who lived along its banks . The tribe 's name ( natively kką : ze ) is often said to mean people of the ( south ) wind although this was probably not the term 's original meaning . For thousands of years , what is now Kansas was home to numerous and diverse Native American tribes . Tribes in the eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along the river valleys . Tribes in the western part of the state were semi-nomadic and hunted large herds of bison . Kansas was first settled by Americans in 1827 with the establishment of Fort Leavenworth . The pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s , in the midst of political wars over the slavery debate . When it was officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854 with the Kansas-Nebraska Act , abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine whether Kansas would become a free state or a slave state . Thus , the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided , and was known as Bleeding Kansas .
Hermann Emil Fichter ( March 30 , 1845 - August 5 , 1912 ) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 3rd U.S. Cavalry during the Apache Wars . He was one of five men received the Medal of Honor for gallantry battling the Apache Indians in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona on May 5 , 1871 .
The Whetstone Mountains is a mountain range in Cochise County , southeastern Arizona .
Sergeant John H. Foley ( 1839 - November 18 , 1874 ) was an Irish-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 3rd U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars . He was one of four men received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in leading an attack against the Sioux Indians near Loupe Fork of the Platte River in Nebraska on April 26 , 1872 .
The Platte River /plæt/ is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about 310 mi ( 500 km ) long . Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River , it flows for over 1,050 miles ( 1,690 km ) . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River , which itself is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico . The Platte over most of its length is a muddy , broad , shallow , meandering stream with a swampy bottom and many islands - a braided stream . These characteristics made it too difficult for canoe travel , and it was never used as a major navigation route by European-American trappers or explorers . [ citation needed ] The Platte is one of the most significant tributary systems in the watershed of the Missouri , draining a large portion of the central Great Plains in Nebraska and the eastern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming . The river valley played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States , providing the route for several major emigrant trails , including the Oregon , California , Mormon and Bozeman trails . The first Europeans to see the Platte were French explorers and fur trappers about 1714 ; they first called it the Nebraskier ( Nebraska ) , a transliteration of the name given by the Otoe people , meaning flat water . This expression is very close to the French words rivière plate ( flat river ) , the probable origin of the name Platte River .
Nebraska /nəˈbræskə/ ( listen ) is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States . It is bordered by South Dakota to the north ; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast , both across the Missouri River ; Kansas to the south ; Colorado to the southwest ; and Wyoming to the west . It is the only triply landlocked U.S. state . Nebraska 's area is just over 77,220 square miles ( 200,000 km2 ) with a population of almost 1.9 million people . Its state capital is Lincoln , and its largest city is Omaha , which is on the Missouri River . Indigenous peoples , including Omaha , Missouria , Ponca , Pawnee , Otoe , and various branches of the Lakota ( Sioux ) tribes , lived in the region for thousands of years before European exploration . The state is crossed by many historic trails , including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867 . It is the only state in the United States whose legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan . Nebraska is composed of two major land regions : the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains . The Dissected Till Plains region consist of gently rolling hills and contains the state 's largest cities , Omaha and Lincoln . The Great Plains region , occupying most of western Nebraska , is characterized by treeless prairie , suitable for cattle-grazing .
Sergeant Nicholas Sam Foran ( June 3 , 1844 - September 29 , 1927 ) was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 8th U.S. Cavalry during the Apache Wars . He was one of thirty-four men who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in several engagements against the Apache Indians in the Arizona Territory from August to October 1868 .
Sergeant William Foster ( 1832 - July 16 , 1880 ) was a British-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 4th U.S. Cavalry during the Texas-Indian Wars . He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry against the Comanche Indians at the Red River in Texas on September 29 , 1872 .
The Red River , or sometimes the Red River of the South , is a major river in the Southern United States . It was named for the red-bed country of its watershed . It is one of several rivers with that name . Although it was once a tributary of the Mississippi River , the Red River is now a tributary of the Atchafalaya River , a distributary of the Mississippi that flows separately into the Gulf of Mexico . It is connected to the Mississippi River by the Old River Control Structure . The south bank of the Red River formed part of the US-Mexico border from the Adams-Onís Treaty ( in force 1821 ) until the Texas Annexation and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo . The Red River is the second-largest river basin in the southern Great Plains . It rises in two branches in the Texas Panhandle and flows east , where it acts as the border between the states of Texas and Oklahoma . It forms a short border between Texas and Arkansas before entering Arkansas , turning south near Fulton , Arkansas , and flowing into Louisiana , where it flows into the Atchafalaya River . The total length of the river is 1,360 miles ( 2,190 km ) , with a mean flow of over 57,000 cubic feet per second ( 1,600 m3/s ) at the mouth . [ citation needed ]
Private Christopher Freemeyer ( 1838 - October 14 , 1894 ) was a German-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 5th U.S. Infantry during the Indian Wars . He was one of thirty-one men who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during General Nelson A . Miles campaign against the Sioux Indians in the Montana Territory from October 1876 to January 1877 .