James Sumner (soldier)

He showed gallantry in action amid the Chiricahua Mountains.

James Sumner was born in London, England, in 1840. He served in the U.S. Army as a private in Company G, 1st U.S. Cavalry.

On October 20, 1869, Sumner distinguished himself in action in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona Territory. His Medal of Honor citation records his gallantry in a single sentence, without describing particular movements, wounds, or rescues. The award was issued on December 20, 1869, and was accredited to Chicago, Illinois.

Sumner died in Ventura, California, on July 5, 1912. He was buried in Ventura Cemetery. His Medal of Honor preserves recognition of his conduct during the Army's nineteenth-century campaigns in the American West, although the official recipient record provides little detail about his early life or later civilian years.

Official Medal of Honor citation: Gallantry in action.