Charles Windolph
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| Charles Windolph | |
|---|---|
| December 9, 1851 – 1950 | |
 Charles Windolph, Medal of Honor recipient |
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| Place of birth | Bergen, Germany |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | 7th U.S. Cavalry |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Charles Windolph (December 9, 1851-1950) was a soldier in Company H of the George Armstrong Custer's Seventh U. S. Cavalry who survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn and was the recipient of the Medal of Honor.
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[edit] Biography
Windolph was born in Bergen, Germany, December 9, 1851, to Joseph and Adelphina Koch Windolph. He arrived in the United States in 1871, and enlisted in the army that same year. He deserted the next year, and promptly reinlisted as Charles Wrangel. He later surrendered and was restored to duty without punishment. He was a shoemaker and did cobbler work among his comrades. He was a participant in the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873 and the Black Hills Expedition in 1874.
Windolph took part in the Reno-Benteen hilltop action at the Battle of Little Bighorn, and was wounded in the buttock. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during that fight, specifically for providing covering fire for his comrades (including Medal of Honor recipient Peter Thompson) who went for water for the wounded on June 26, 1876. He was also awarded the Purple Heart many years later. He was discharged in 1882 as First Sergeant. Like Thompson, he moved to Lead, Dakota Territory, and took a job with the Homestake Mine, where he worked for 49 years. He married twice and had three children. His wife had a bakery. He was the source/subject of a book I Fought With Custer, The Story of Sergeant Windolph which is listed as written by Frazier & Robert Hunt, published in 1947. He died in 1950 at age 98, the last of the white participants in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. His remains were interred in the Black Hills National Cemetery.
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Little Big Horn, Mont., 25-26 lune 1876. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Born: 9 December 1851, Germany. Date of issue: 5 October 1878.
Citation:
- With 3 comrades, during the entire engagement, courageously held a position that secured water for the command.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Nichols, Ronald. Men with Custer (rev. ed.). Hardin MT: Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Society, 2000.
