Ernest Veuve
Encyclopedia
Ernest Veuve born George Ernest Veuve, was a Swiss-born soldier in the U.S. Army
who fought during the American Civil War
and the Indian Wars
as a member of the 16th U.S. Infantry, 3rd U.S. Infantry and 4th U.S. Cavalry. He was cited for bravery while battling the Kiowa
and Comanche
in the Staked Plains in November 1874, and fought an Indian in hand-to-hand combat for which he received the Medal of Honor
.
by trade and spoke German
, however, little is known of his early life in Switzerland prior to emigrating to the United States in early-1864. In an interview with James McCauley, a grand-nephew of Veuve, the 21-year old immigrant enlisted in the U.S. Army near the end of the American Civil War
. According to one story, he agreed to take the place of a wealthy man wanting to avoid the draft. Veuve served in a German-speaking division of volunteer troops
and later participated in General William T. Sherman
's March to the Sea campaign
from April to May 1865. It was during this time that Veuve was attacked by a Confederate cavalryman and sustained a head wound from a sabre. Historians have been unable to verify these claims via the National Archives and Records Administration
given that the state regiment that Veuve served with is not known.
and became a member of the 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment. His 3-year enlistment term lasted from October 17, 1866 to 1869, and reenlisted at Jackson Barracks
, Louisiana
on December 17, 1869. During the next five years, Veuve served with the 4th U.S. Cavalry for frontier duty in the Indian Territory
, West Texas
and Kansas
. He became a skilled scout and learned Spanish
. He was also appointed a farrier
during his time with the 4th Cavalry and was responsible for the shoeing and general care of the regiment's horses.
It was at the end of his second tour of duty that took part in campaigns against the Plains Indians
in the Texas frontier during the early 1870s. On November 3, 1874, Veuve fought against the Kiowa
and Comanche
in the Staked Plains. In the midst of battle, he became separated from his company and was attacked by an Indian whom he defeated in hand-to-hand combat. Veuve was one of several men cited for bravery in this engagement and, on October 13, 1875, received the Medal of Honor
for the "gallant manner in which he faced a desperate Indian".
and was among the first soldiers to be stationed at Fort Missoula
in the Montana Territory
arriving by wagon train on November 14, 1875. He served as the fort's quartermaster
for several years. On January 22, 1880, he married 34-year-old Anna McCarty a week after leaving military service. The two had met in Missoula while McCarty, originally from County Cork, Ireland, was visiting her sister Margaret. She had previously lived in Washington, D.C.
but decided to permanently settle in the area following her marriage. Though retired, Veuve was contracted by the fort's quartermaster department to haul wood to Fort Missoula. He lived with his wife and daughter, Alina Brisbin, at their East Pine Street residence until his death on June 17, 1916, at age 73. Buried at Missoula Cemetery, the arrangements of his funeral were handled by the Marsh Funeral Home and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
.
In 1957, the US Army Reserve Center in Missoula was named for and dedicated to Veuve. Shortly before Memorial Day
in 2006, a new bronze plaque was placed on his grave replacing the standard government issue headstone and recognized Veuve as an MOH recipient.
Citation:
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who fought during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
as a member of the 16th U.S. Infantry, 3rd U.S. Infantry and 4th U.S. Cavalry. He was cited for bravery while battling the Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
and Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
in the Staked Plains in November 1874, and fought an Indian in hand-to-hand combat for which he received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
Early life and military career
George Ernest Veuve was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Although there are conflicting dates of his birth due to discrepancies in his military record, death certificate and obituary, it is generally accepted that his birth occurred on March 19, 1843. He was a coppersmithCoppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who makes artifacts from copper. The term redsmith comes from the colour of copper....
by trade and spoke German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, however, little is known of his early life in Switzerland prior to emigrating to the United States in early-1864. In an interview with James McCauley, a grand-nephew of Veuve, the 21-year old immigrant enlisted in the U.S. Army near the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. According to one story, he agreed to take the place of a wealthy man wanting to avoid the draft. Veuve served in a German-speaking division of volunteer troops
German-Americans in the Civil War
German-Americans in the American Civil War were the largest ethnic contingent to fight for the Union. More than 200,000 native Germans served in the Union Army, with New York and Ohio each providing ten divisions dominated by German-born men....
and later participated in General William T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
's March to the Sea campaign
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
from April to May 1865. It was during this time that Veuve was attacked by a Confederate cavalryman and sustained a head wound from a sabre. Historians have been unable to verify these claims via the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
given that the state regiment that Veuve served with is not known.
Service on the frontier
His post-Civil War career, however, was well documented. A year after leaving volunteer service, Veuve enlisted in the Regular Army in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and became a member of the 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment. His 3-year enlistment term lasted from October 17, 1866 to 1869, and reenlisted at Jackson Barracks
Jackson Barracks
Jackson Barracks is a military base in New Orleans, Louisiana. The base was established in 1834 and known as New Orleans Barracks prior to 7 July 1866 when it was renamed in honor of Andrew Jackson who first advocated a US military base here....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
on December 17, 1869. During the next five years, Veuve served with the 4th U.S. Cavalry for frontier duty in the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He became a skilled scout and learned Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. He was also appointed a farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
during his time with the 4th Cavalry and was responsible for the shoeing and general care of the regiment's horses.
It was at the end of his second tour of duty that took part in campaigns against the Plains Indians
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
in the Texas frontier during the early 1870s. On November 3, 1874, Veuve fought against the Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
and Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
in the Staked Plains. In the midst of battle, he became separated from his company and was attacked by an Indian whom he defeated in hand-to-hand combat. Veuve was one of several men cited for bravery in this engagement and, on October 13, 1875, received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for the "gallant manner in which he faced a desperate Indian".
Retirement and later years
Discharged at the end of the year, Veuve reenlisted for another 5-year term at Jackson Barracks on January 16, 1875, and was assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. Almost three years later, he had become a sergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
and was among the first soldiers to be stationed at Fort Missoula
Fort Missoula
Fort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
in the Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
arriving by wagon train on November 14, 1875. He served as the fort's quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
for several years. On January 22, 1880, he married 34-year-old Anna McCarty a week after leaving military service. The two had met in Missoula while McCarty, originally from County Cork, Ireland, was visiting her sister Margaret. She had previously lived in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
but decided to permanently settle in the area following her marriage. Though retired, Veuve was contracted by the fort's quartermaster department to haul wood to Fort Missoula. He lived with his wife and daughter, Alina Brisbin, at their East Pine Street residence until his death on June 17, 1916, at age 73. Buried at Missoula Cemetery, the arrangements of his funeral were handled by the Marsh Funeral Home and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
.
In 1957, the US Army Reserve Center in Missoula was named for and dedicated to Veuve. Shortly before Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
in 2006, a new bronze plaque was placed on his grave replacing the standard government issue headstone and recognized Veuve as an MOH recipient.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Farrier, Company A, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Staked Plains, Tex., 3 November 1874. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Switzerland. Date of issue: 13 October 1875.Citation:
Gallant manner in which he faced a desperate Indian.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars