Francis C. Green

Frontier cavalry service won recognition for his own bravery

Francis C. Green came from Mount Vernon, Indiana, and entered the United States Army from California. He served as a sergeant in Company K of the 8th United States Cavalry during the campaigns in Arizona Territory. Mounted patrols and scouts were central to the regiment's frontier service.

His Medal of Honor recognized bravery during operations against Apache forces. The contemporary award register describes qualifying actions in Arizona during 1868 and 1869; the Congressional Medal of Honor Society identifies an action near the Black Mountains on 22 August 1868. His citation records bravery in action, without describing a single rescue or charge.

The medal was issued on 6 September 1869. Green later settled in Erin, Tennessee, where he died on 13 March 1905. A memorial in that community records his service with the 8th Cavalry and the award that distinguished his military career.