William Othello Wilson

William Othello Wilson
Born (1869-09-16)September 16, 1869
Hagerstown, Maryland
Died January 18, 1928(1928-01-18) (aged 58)
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1889 – 1893
Rank Corporal
Unit Company I, 9th U.S. Cavalry
Battles/wars Indian Wars
Awards Medal of Honor
Other work
  • upholsterer
  • cook
  • carpenter

William Othello Wilson (September 16, 1867 – January, 1928) was a corporal in the United States Army's 9th Cavalry Regiment. He is noted for having received the Medal of Honor.

Army service

Wilson joined the Army from Saint Paul, Minnesota in August 1889.[1] He earned the Medal of Honor on December 30, 1891 for "Bravery" in volunteering to successfully carrying a message to the Pine Ridge Indian Agency in South Dakota.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 9th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Sioux Campaign, 1890. Entered service at: St. Paul, Minn. Birth: Hagerstown, Md. Date of issue: September 17, 1891.

Citation:

Bravery.[2]

A more detailed citation was published in General Order 100, on December 17, 1891:

December 30, 1890. Private (then Corporal) William O. Wilson, Troop I, 9th Cavalry: For gallantry in carrying a message for assistance through country occupied by the enemy, when the wagon train under escort of Captain Loud was attacked by hostile Sioux Indians, near the Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota.[3]

Later life and death

After being discharged in 1893, Wilson returned to civilian life in Maryland, working as an upholsterer, a cook, and a carpenter; he married and had seven children.[4] Wilson died on January 18, 1928 and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Washington County, Maryland.[5]

Legacy

In February 2003, Wilson's only surviving daughter, Anna V. Jones, donated her father's medal to the then new Maryland African American Museum Corporation.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD5-L1PD : 24 May 2014), Wm O Wilson, 21 Aug 1889; citing p. 315, volume 086, St Paul, Minnesota, United States, NARA microfilm publication M233 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 45; FHL microfilm 1,319,378.
  2. ↑ "Wilson, William O." Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  3. ↑ "The Army - Soldiers Who Have Distinguished Themselves" (Volume XXIX, Number 17). Army and Navy Journal. p. 286. Retrieved 9 July 2017. For gallantry in carrying a message for assistance through country occupied by the enemy, when the wagon train under escort of Captain Loud was attacked by hostile Sioux Indians, near the Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota. (Medal of honor.)
  4. 1 2 Ernde, Laura (February 24, 2003). "Medal of Honor given to museum". Hagerstown, MD: The Herald-Mail. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  5. ↑ William Othello Wilson at Find a Grave


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