Marcus Robbins

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Marcus M. Robbins
Circular portrait of a white man with a mustache wearing a military jacket with two medals pinned to the chest.
Marcus M. Robbins, Medal of Honor recipient
Born(1851-07-25)July 25, 1851
Elba, Wisconsin
DiedJune 21, 1924(1924-06-21) (aged 72)
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Place of burial
Pittsfield Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
RankPrivate
Unit6th United States Cavalry
Battles/warsAmerican Indian Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

Marcus Morton Robbins (July 25, 1851 – June 21, 1924) served in the United States Army during the American Indian Wars. He received the Medal of Honor.

Robbins was a resident of Elba, Wisconsin. He died at his daughter's home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on June 21, 1924, and was buried in Pittsfield Cemetery.[1][2]

Army service[]

Robbins served as a private in the Sixth U.S. Cavalry, fighting in the American Indian Wars

On April 23, 1875, Robbins and five other soldiers snuck up behind a band of Cheyenne warriors and attacked them from the rear at Sappa Creek in Kansas. He received a Medal of Honor for these actions on November 16, 1876.[3] Several other members of his company also received medals for their role in the battle. Richard Longstreth Tea, , , , and made up the rest of the expedition around the Cheyenne lines, and all received the Medal of Honor. and James F. Ayers also were a part of the battle, and also were awarded the Medal of Honor.[4] The engagement was part of the Red River War.

Twentieth-century commentators have questioned the role of the Sixth Cavalry at Sappa Creek, with some calling it a "massacre."[5]

Medal of Honor[]

His award citation reads:

With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.[6]

The medal itself was out of possession of Robbins' family for many years, until it was returned to them in 2009.[7]

See also[]

References[]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. ^ "Medal of Honor Recipients". Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "Marcus Morton Robbins". The Berkshire Eagle. June 21, 1924. p. 3. Retrieved March 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ J. Brett Cruse, et al. Battles of the Red River War: archeological perspectives on the Indian at 162.
  4. ^ Walter Frederick Beyer, et al. Deeds of Valor. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel, 1906. p. 196
  5. ^ John H. Monnett, Massacre at Cheyenne Hole: Lieutenant Austin Henely and the Sappa Creek, 1999. ("[I]ntimations surfaced that the Sappa Creek fight was a massacre of the Cheyennes under Little Bull who attempted to surrender.")
  6. ^ "Medal of Honor Recipients: Indian Wars Period". United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Connor Berry. "A Majestic Medal" Berkshire Eagle December 5, 2009

External links[]

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