Bernhard Jetter

Two Days in 1890 Behind a Medal of Honor

Bernhard Jetter was born on February 26, 1862, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, in what is now Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1881 and later joined the United States Army, beginning a military career that would take him to the American West. Serving with Troop K of the 7th U.S. Cavalry, Jetter received the Medal of Honor for conduct during the Sioux Campaign of December 1890, a period that included the Wounded Knee Massacre and the fighting near White Clay Creek in South Dakota.

Jetter enlisted in the 7th Cavalry in 1883. His first period of service ended in May 1888, when he was discharged at Rapid City in Dakota Territory with an excellent character rating. He reenlisted the following month and continued his Army career.

By December 1890, Jetter had attained the rank of Sergeant. His regiment was involved in military operations in South Dakota amid rising tensions between the United States government and Lakota communities. These tensions were closely connected to the Ghost Dance movement, federal restrictions on Native American life, and the Army's efforts to control the region.

On December 28, 1890, troops of the 7th Cavalry escorted a band of Miniconjou Lakota led by Spotted Elk, also known as Big Foot, to Wounded Knee Creek.

The following morning, soldiers attempted to disarm the Lakota camp. Gunfire erupted, followed by widespread killing. The event became known as the Wounded Knee Massacre. More than two hundred Lakota people, including women and children, were killed, along with a number of U.S. soldiers.

Sergeant Jetter's conduct during the events of December 29 and 30 was described in a recommendation submitted by Captain Luther Hare, the commander of Troop K.

According to that recommendation, Jetter intervened at Wounded Knee when a Lakota man was reportedly attacking a wounded soldier from Troop B of the 7th Cavalry. Hare stated that Jetter killed the attacker, took his pistol, and gave it to Lieutenant James D. Mann, who had exhausted the ammunition in his revolver.

The recommendation attributed this account to information Mann had provided before his death. It therefore preserves the Army's contemporary description of Jetter's conduct rather than an independently established account of every detail.

Jetter's actions on the following day were also included in the recommendation.

On December 30, 1890, another engagement occurred near the Drexel Mission along White Clay Creek. During this fighting, Lieutenant Mann was wounded. Jetter was specifically commended for the care he provided to the injured officer, an action reportedly witnessed by Lieutenant Sedgwick Rice.

Captain Hare cited Jetter's conduct on both days when recommending him for the Medal of Honor.

The award was subsequently supported by senior Army officers, including General Wesley Merritt and General John M. Schofield.

On April 24, 1891, Bernhard Jetter was issued the Army Medal of Honor for his conduct during the Sioux Campaign.

His official citation stated: "Distinguished bravery."

Although the published citation did not identify a single detailed incident, the surviving recommendation connected his award to his actions at Wounded Knee on December 29 and his care for Lieutenant Mann during the fighting near White Clay Creek on December 30.

The decoration reflected the military recognition granted under the standards of the late nineteenth century. Its historical setting remains significant because Wounded Knee is remembered as a massacre in which a large number of Lakota noncombatants lost their lives.

Jetter continued serving in the United States Army after receiving the Medal of Honor.

On June 4, 1893, he completed another period of enlistment at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, holding the rank of First Sergeant. He reenlisted the following day and remained in military service for several more years.

Jetter became a naturalized United States citizen on July 10, 1896, in New York City.

His military career concluded on September 4, 1896, when he was discharged at Fort Huachuca in Arizona Territory. His final recorded rank was First Sergeant, and his discharge record again reflected an excellent character rating.

After leaving military service, Jetter returned to New York. On June 3, 1916, he married Rose Elizabeth Wagner in Manhattan.

Bernhard Jetter died on August 23, 1927, at the age of sixty-five. He was buried in Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, where his grave marker identifies his service with Company K of the 7th U.S. Cavalry and his Medal of Honor.

His military career extended across more than a decade of service in the United States Army. He rose from an enlisted cavalry soldier to First Sergeant and received the Medal of Honor for conduct documented during two engagements in December 1890.

Jetter's story remains part of the complex history of the American Indian Wars, connecting an individual military award with the tragic events at Wounded Knee and the subsequent fighting along White Clay Creek. His surviving Army records preserve both the circumstances of his recognition and the broader historical setting in which it occurred.