William Othello Wilson

He rode through enemy lines to bring help to pinned troopers

William Othello Wilson was born in the Hagerstown area of Maryland, on 16 September 1869. Before entering the Army he learned upholstery, a trade that offered a civilian livelihood. In August 1889 he enlisted at St Paul, Minnesota, and joined Troop I of the 9th United States Cavalry, one of the African American regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He soon became a corporal and developed a reputation as a skilled marksman.

In late 1890 the regiment was sent to the Sioux reservations during the crisis surrounding the Ghost Dance. This Indigenous religious movement was viewed with alarm by many officials and settlers, and the Army concentrated thousands of troops in the region. Wilson’s action occurred on the day after the Wounded Knee massacre, as part of the movement of troops and supplies around Pine Ridge.

On 30 December 1890, a supply train escorted by Captain John Loud was attacked near the agency. The wagons were drawn into a defensive circle. The main body of the 9th Cavalry had already reached Pine Ridge, and Loud needed someone to carry an urgent request for assistance across the intervening ground. Wilson volunteered, mounted and rode approximately two miles to reach Major Guy Henry. Pursuers followed him, but he delivered the message and the cavalry returned to relieve the wagon train.

The short Medal of Honor citation reads simply “Bravery.” The National Park Service also reproduces the later General Order 100 of 17 December 1891, commending his “gallantry in carrying a message for assistance through country occupied by the enemy” (https://home.nps.gov/people/william-o-wilson.htm). His award was dated 17 September 1891. The decoration concerned the rescue message, a distinct action from the massacre at Wounded Knee.

Wilson continued serving until 1893. While travelling after an Army shooting competition, he deserted and returned to Hagerstown. The Army did not apprehend him. He resumed civilian life in Maryland and seldom spoke publicly about his service. Later accounts describe employment in skilled and practical trades and a family life outside the military.

He died in Hagerstown on 18 January 1928 and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. His life encompasses both distinguished conduct within a segregated regiment and an abrupt departure from Army service, followed by decades in his home community.