Amos Chapman facts for kids

Amos Chapman (1839–1925) was a brave civilian scout. He worked for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars. He received the Medal of Honor, a very special award for bravery. Later, his medal was taken away because he was a civilian. But it was given back to him in 1989.

Amos Chapman had both white and Native American family. He married Mary Longneck, a Cheyenne woman. He followed Native American customs throughout his life. In 2012, he was honored in the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.

Amos Chapman's Early Life and Scouting

Amos Chapman was born in 1837 in Michigan. His parents were of both white and Native American backgrounds. In the 1860s, he started working as a scout. He helped the U.S. Army and settlers.

In 1868, he moved to Oklahoma. He joined the Seventh Cavalry. This was during General Alfred Sully's actions against the Cheyenne. These actions started from Fort Dodge. Later, Camp Supply was set up. Chapman worked there as an interpreter.

Family Life and the Battle of Buffalo Wallow

Amos Chapman married Mary Longneck. She was the daughter of the Cheyenne Chief Stone Calf. They had six children together. For a while, he lived with her tribe.

In July 1874, he volunteered to scout for the U.S. Army again. He scouted for Lieutenant Frank Baldwin. On September 12, he was part of a battle. This event later earned him the Medal of Honor.

A Kiowa ledger drawing possibly depicting the Buffalo Wallow battle in 1874

Chapman, another civilian named Billy Dixon, and four soldiers faced a large group. There were over a hundred Comanche and Kiowa warriors. This fight became known as the Battle of Buffalo Wallow. The small group found a defensive spot in a buffalo wallow. They held their ground until the weather changed. The Native American force then stopped their attack.

Bravery and Disputed Accounts

What happened during the battle is told in different ways. At one point, either Dixon or Chapman was hurt. One of them was stranded outside the wallow. The other went out to bring his friend back.

Chapman's story says he pulled Dixon onto his back. He had to stop many times to fight off Native Americans. They were trying to shoot him and Dixon. With about a quarter of a mile left, Chapman was shot in his right shin. The bone was shattered. He kept dragging himself and Dixon back to the wallow. This was all while under fire.

However, Dixon's story is different. He said Chapman was already hurt. Dixon then went out and pulled Chapman back to the wallow.

Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles later praised Chapman's actions. He called them "one of the bravest deeds in the annals of the army." Chapman's leg was amputated by a surgeon at Camp Supply. All the survivors of the battle received a Medal of Honor.

Life After the Battle

After his injury, Chapman wore a prosthetic leg. He continued to work as a camp interpreter. This was during the events after the Dull Knife Fight in 1879. Native Americans called him Tam-e-yukh-tah. This name meant "the man with the cut off leg."

He later retired from service. He settled with his wife and family near Seiling, Oklahoma. He was known to still sleep in a teepee sometimes. Chapman would visit General Miles every year in Washington. He died on July 18, 1925. This was due to injuries from a wagon accident. He was buried in Brumfield Cemetery, Dewey County, Oklahoma.

Medal of Honor and Legacy

Chapman's Medal of Honor was taken away in a review in 1916–17. Many other awards given to civilian scouts were also removed. But his medal was given back in 1989.

His award citation states: "The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Civilian Scout Amos Chapman, a United States Civilian, for gallantry in action on 12 September 1874, while serving as an Indian Scout with the 6th U.S. Cavalry, at Washita River, Texas." In 2012, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars