Charles Taylor (cavalryman)

He showed gallantry under fire at the Battle of Big Dry Wash

First Sergeant Charles Taylor served with Company D, 3rd U.S. Cavalry, during the Indian campaigns in Arizona. Born in Baltimore in 1840, he made a career in the Army and rose to the senior enlisted rank of first sergeant, a position responsible for maintaining discipline and helping lead soldiers in the field. His Medal of Honor record places him at Big Dry Wash on July 17, 1882, during one of the last major battles of the Apache Wars in Arizona.

The engagement developed after White Mountain Apache warriors led by Na-tio-tish moved through central Arizona. Pursuing cavalry found them near a deep wash along East Clear Creek, where the terrain offered steep banks and concealed firing positions. The Army force included troops of the 3rd and 6th Cavalry. Fighting continued through the day; the difficult ground and close-range fire made coordinated movement and steadiness under pressure essential. The encounter became known as the Battle of Big Dry Wash, although later maps also used the name Big Dry Fork.

The official record gives Taylor’s distinction in spare words: “Gallantry in action.” It does not describe a particular maneuver, so the citation should not be expanded into an invented scene. Taylor was one of four soldiers recognized for the battle, alongside Thomas Cruse, George H. Morgan and Frank West. His Medal of Honor was issued on December 16, 1882. He died in Washington, D.C., on August 3, 1899, and was buried at the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery.

### Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company D, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Big Dry Wash, Arizona, July 17, 1882. Date of issue: December 16, 1882. Citation: “Gallantry in action.”

### Sources

- Congressional Medal of Honor Society, “Charles Taylor,” recipient record, Indian Campaigns. - U.S. Army, “Indian War Campaigns Medal of Honor Recipients,” Charles Taylor entry. - Michael R. Meise, “The Battle of Big Dry Wash: Arizona’s Last Great Apache Fight,” The Journal of Arizona History, vol. 39, no. 1 (Spring 1988), pp. 23–48.