Notable people · Military
Edward S. Godfrey
Born in Ottawa, Ohio, Godfrey served in the 7th Cavalry, survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn, wrote an influential account of it and received the Medal of Honor in 1894 for Bear Paw Mountain. He also commanded a troop at Wounded Knee in 1890.
At a glance
- Born
- 1843-10-09
- Died
- 1932-04-01
- Education
- US Military Academy, West Point, NY, to 1867, graduate
- Known as
- Military
- Organizations
- 7th US Cavalry
Life story
Edward Godfrey was born in Ottawa, Ohio, in 1843. He served in the Union Army in 1861 and graduated from West Point in 1867, joining the 7th Cavalry.
He was an officer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 and published an influential account in Century Magazine in January 1892. He was severely wounded at Bear Paw Mountain in 1877 and received the Medal of Honor for it in 1894.
In 1890 he commanded D Troop at Wounded Knee, where roughly 150 to 300 Lakota and about 25 soldiers died; some critics argue the Medals given for that fight should be withdrawn. He also served in Cuba in 1898 and the Philippines, retired in 1907, and died in New Jersey in 1932. He is buried at Arlington.
Timeline
- 1843-10-09: Born (Ottawa, OH) source
- 1867: Graduates from West Point (West Point, NY) source
- 1876: Little Bighorn (Montana) source
- 1890: Commands D Troop at Wounded Knee (South Dakota) source
- 1892-01: Publishes Century Magazine account of Little Bighorn source
- 1894: Receives Medal of Honor source
- 1898: Serves in Cuba source
- 1907-10-09: Retires source
- 1932-04-01: Dies (Cookstown, NJ) source
What Edward is known for
- Medal of Honor, 1894
- Wrote a widely read account of Little Bighorn (1892)
- Account of the Little Bighorn, Century Magazine, January 1892
Honors and things named for them
- Medal of Honor, 1894
Family
- second wife: Ida Emely Godfrey
Ohio places
Where Edward S. Godfrey was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Ottawa, Putnam County ZIP 45875 · Ottawa · Putnam County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: Godfrey received the Medal of Honor for Bear Paw Mountain in 1894 and wrote one of the best-known accounts of Little Bighorn. He also commanded a troop at Wounded Knee, and critics argue the Medals of Honor awarded for that fight should be rescinded because the Lakota deaths vastly outnumbered Army deaths.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Edward Settle Godfrey dates, service, Medal of Honor, Wounded Knee, burial
