Charles A. Bessey

On 13 January 1877, a small scouting party near Elkhorn Creek, Wyoming Territory, was ambushed by fourteen Cheyenne warriors. Corporal Charles Albert Bessey refused to give ground. Even after being wounded in the side, he continued fighting before turning to assist his injured comrades. His extraordinary courage would eventually earn him the United States Medal of Honor.

Born on 6 November 1848 in Reading, Massachusetts, Bessey served with Company A, 3rd United States Cavalry. During the Great Sioux War of 1876–1877, his actions at Elkhorn Creek demonstrated exceptional courage and commitment to his fellow soldiers.

His official Medal of Honor citation states:

"While scouting with four men and being attacked in ambush by 14 hostile Indians, held his ground, two of his men being wounded, and kept up the fight until himself wounded in the side, and then went to the assistance of his wounded comrades."

For this act of gallantry, Bessey received the Medal of Honor on 15 May 1890, more than thirteen years after the engagement.

Bessey subsequently rose to become Chief Musician of the 3rd Cavalry and reportedly retired from the United States Army in 1899. The regiment's official history documents the deployment of its headquarters and band to Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898. His individual deployment record remains an important outstanding archival question.

Charles Albert Bessey died in Biloxi, Mississippi, on 4 June 1909, and was buried in Old Biloxi Cemetery. His legacy endures as a soldier whose courage under fire and determination to protect wounded comrades earned him one of America's highest military honours.