Ernest Veuve Ernest Veuve ( March 19 , 1843 – June 17 , 1916 ) , born George Ernest Veuve , was a Swiss - born soldier in the U . S . Army who fought during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars as a member of the 16th U . S . Infantry , 3rd U . S . Infantry and 4th U . S . Cavalry . He was cited for bravery while battling the Kiowa and Comanche in the Staked Plains in November 1874 , and fought an Indian in hand - to - hand combat for which he received the Medal of Honor . Biography . Early life and military career . George Ernest Veuve was born in Neuchatel , Switzerland . Although there are conflicting dates of his birth due to discrepancies in his military record , death certificate and obituary , it is generally accepted that his birth occurred on March 19 , 1843 . He was a coppersmith by trade and spoke German , however , little is known of his early life in Switzerland prior to emigrating to the United States in early - 1864 . In an interview with James McCauley , a grand - nephew of Veuve , the 21 - year old immigrant enlisted in the U . S . Army near the end of the American Civil War . According to one story , he agreed to take the place of a wealthy man wanting to avoid the draft . Veuve served in a German - speaking division of volunteer troops and later participated in General William T . Sherman ' s March to the Sea campaign from April to May 1865 . It was during this time that Veuve was attacked by a Confederate cavalryman and sustained a head wound from a sabre . Historians have been unable to verify these claims via the National Archives and Records Administration given that the state regiment that Veuve served with is not known . Service on the frontier . His post - Civil War career , however , was well documented . A year after leaving volunteer service , Veuve enlisted in the Regular Army in Cincinnati , Ohio and became a member of the 16th U . S . Infantry Regiment . His 3 - year enlistment term lasted from October 17 , 1866 to 1869 , and reenlisted at Jackson Barracks , Louisiana on December 17 , 1869 . During the next five years , Veuve served with the 4th U . S . Cavalry for frontier duty in the Indian Territory , West Texas and Kansas . He became a skilled scout and learned Spanish . He was also appointed a farrier during his time with the 4th Cavalry and was responsible for the shoeing and general care of the regiment ' s horses . It was at the end of his second tour of duty that took part in campaigns against the Plains Indians in the Texas frontier during the early 1870s . On November 3 , 1874 , Veuve fought against the Kiowa and Comanche in the Staked Plains . In the midst of battle , he became separated from his company and was attacked by an Indian whom he defeated in hand - to - hand combat . Veuve was one of several men cited for bravery in this engagement and , on October 13 , 1875 , received the Medal of Honor for the " gallant manner in which he faced a desperate Indian " . Retirement and later years . Discharged at the end of the year , Veuve reenlisted for another 5 - year term at Jackson Barracks on January 16 , 1875 , and was assigned to the 3rd U . S . Infantry Regiment . Almost three years later , he had become a sergeant and was among the first soldiers to be stationed at Fort Missoula in the Montana Territory arriving by wagon train on November 14 , 1875 . He served as the fort ' s quartermaster for several years . On January 22 , 1880 , he married 34 - year - old Anna McCarty a week after leaving military service . The two had met in Missoula while McCarty , originally from County Cork , Ireland , was visiting her sister Margaret . She had previously lived in Washington , D . C . but decided to permanently settle in the area following her marriage . Though retired , Veuve was contracted by the fort ' s quartermaster department to haul wood to Fort Missoula . He lived with his wife and daughter , Alina Brisbin , at their East Pine Street residence until his death on June 17 , 1916 , at age 73 . Buried at Missoula Cemetery , the arrangements of his funeral were handled by the Marsh Funeral Home and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows . In 1957 , the US Army Reserve Center in Missoula was named for and dedicated to Veuve . Shortly before Memorial Day in 2006 , a new bronze plaque was placed on his grave replacing the standard government issue headstone and recognized Veuve as an MOH recipient . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Farrier , Company A , 4th U . S . Cavalry . Place and date : At Staked Plains , Tex . , 3 November 1874 . Entered service at : - - - - - - . Birth : Switzerland . Date of issue : 13 October 1875 . Citation : Gallant manner in which he faced a desperate Indian .