William Evans

A message had to get through enemy-held territory. Private William Evans was one of the soldiers who made sure it did.

William Evans was an Irish-born soldier in the United States Army who earned the Medal of Honor for extraordinary courage during the Indian Campaigns. Born in Annagh, Ireland, in 1851, he later emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the Army at St. Louis, Missouri. He served with Company E, 7th U.S. Infantry, during the campaigns against the Sioux in the American West.

On July 9, 1876, near Big Horn, Montana, Evans carried military dispatches to Brigadier General George Crook through territory occupied by Sioux forces. His mission involved travelling through hostile country to maintain vital military communications. His extraordinary service earned him the Medal of Honor, with the official citation stating: "Carried dispatches to Brig. Gen. Crook through a country occupied by Sioux."

His service during the 1876 Northern Cheyenne and Sioux campaign also established his eligibility for the Indian Campaign Medal, subsequently recognized under federal provisions allowing posthumous presentation to eligible recipients' families. Unlike the Medal of Honor, this campaign medal has no separate individual gallantry citation.

Evans continued his Army service and eventually attained the rank of Corporal. He later settled in Greeley, Colorado, where he died on November 26, 1893. He was laid to rest at Linn Grove Cemetery.

William Evans's story preserves the memory of a soldier whose courage under dangerous conditions helped carry vital communications across hostile territory. His Medal of Honor remains a testament to his service during the American Indian Wars.