DOB/DOD: 1848 (Tariffville [Simsbury], CT) – unknown *
ENLISTMENT: March 21, 1870, in New York City
DISCHARGE: March 21, 1875.
* Exact Dates of Birth and Death are unknown.
FAMILY: No family information could be found.
MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING: Indian Campaigns
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Army
UNIT: Company I, 4th U.S. Cavalry, Company
DATE OF ISSUE AND PRESENTATION: November 19, 1872
AGE ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT: 23 or 24 years old
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal William O’Neill, United States Army, for bravery in action on 29 September 1872, while serving with Company I, 4th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Red River, Texas.
At some point in his life, William O’Neill moved to New York City, where he enlisted in the U.S. Army. In September 1872, O’Neill was among the cavalry troopers who followed Colonel Ranald Slidell Mackenzie in an expedition over the Staked Plains of Texas. After a one-day march to reach the North Fork of the Red River, his regiment encountered a large encampment of 280 Comanche warriors on September 29. Although the cavalrymen attempted to take the enemy by surprise, the Indians’ ponies stampeded at the soldiers approached, alerting the camp. Engaged in fierce combat with the Comanche, O’Neill and his company led the advance and were able to secure the camp with the loss of only one trooper killed and three others wounded. The Mow-wi tribe of Comanche, who lost 23 braves in the battle, were humbled by this victory and surrendered at Fort Sill, ending 17 years of continuous warfare.
Plaque at the corner of Elm Street in Tariffville, Connecticut. Photo contributed by John Fox.
One of 314 Medal of Honor recipients whose final resting place is a mystery. “In Memory Of” marker in Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 630 South Oakes Street, San Angelo, Texas. Photos from HMdb.org and Cosmos Mariner. In May 1992, burial sites for five soldiers were unknown, and special permission was given to place these headstones at a fort where all five served. Photos from FindAGrave.com.
END