Private William H. Folly 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 cavalry troopers who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in several engagements against the Apache Indians in the Arizona Territory from August to October 1868.
Biography
William H. Folly was born in Bergen County, New Jersey. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private with Company B of the 8th U.S. Cavalry. Folly was assigned to frontier duty and saw action during the Apache Wars during the late-1860s. In the late summer and fall of 1868, Folly was among the 50-60 cavalrymen, mostly from Company B and L, ordered to protect settlers in the Arizona Territory from Apache raiding parties. He and his comrades frequently encountered the Apache during their patrols, often in ambushes or sniper attacks from hidden ravines, and won distinction in several of these battles during this 90-day period. On July 24, 1869, in one of the largest award presentations ever held at the time, Folly was among the thirty-four men in his regiment who received the Medal of Honor for "bravery in scouts and actions against Indians".[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, August to October 1868. Entered service at:------. Birth: Bergen County, N.J. Date of issue: July 24, 1869.
Citation:
Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. (pg. 145)
- ^ Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. (pg. 283)
- ^ Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 396) ISBN 0-922564-00-0
- ^ Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 139) ISBN 1-59416-016-3
- ^ Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for William H. Folly". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: William H. Folly". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.