Elsatsoosu

Elsatsoosu (fl. 1872–1875), also called Elsatsoosh, was an Apache Indian scout in the U.S. Army who served under Lieutenant Colonel George Crook during the Apache Wars. He guided cavalry troopers against renegade Apaches in the Arizona Territory during Crook's winter campaign of 1872–73 and was one of ten scouts later who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry.

Elsatsoosu
Elsatsoosu c. 1873
BornArizona Territory, United States
Diedunknown
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of servicec. 1872–1875
RankCorporal
UnitU.S. Army Indian Scouts
Battles/warsIndian Wars
Apache Wars
AwardsMedal of Honor

Biography

Born in the Arizona Territory, Elsatsoosu (or Elsatsoosh) was one of ten Apaches hired by the U.S. Army as an Indian scout for Lieutenant Colonel George Crook's campaign against the renegades still active following the surrender of Cochise in late 1872. He specifically guided cavalry troopers in the Tonto Basin, where the Western Apache and Yavapais had been successfully conducting raids and eluding troops for several years, battling the Apache in the mountains during Crook's winter campaign of 1872–73. A total of 23 men received the Medal of Honor. Of these, all 10 Indian scouts, including Elsatsoosu, received the award[1][2][3] on April 12, 1875,[4][5][6] for "gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches".[7][8] The other scouts were William Alchesay, Blanquet, Chiquito, Jim, Kelsay, Kosoha, Machol, Nannasaddie and Nantaje.[9][10][11][12][13]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, Indian Scouts. Place and date: Winter of 1872–73. Entered service at:------. Birth: Arizona. Date of issue: April 12, 1875.

Citation:

Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.[14]

Burial

His date and place of death are unknown. A cenotaph in his honor is maintained at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Marana, Pima County, Arizona.

See also

References
  1. Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. p. 552.
  2. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863–1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. p. 951.
  3. Manning, Robert, ed. Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985. p. 81. ISBN 0939526190
  4. Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. p. 396. ISBN 0922564000
  5. O'Neal, Bill. Fighting Men of the Indian Wars: A Biographical Encyclopedia of the Mountain Men, Soldiers, Cowboys, and Pioneers Who Took Up Arms During America's Westward Expansion. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Barbed Wire Press, 1991. p. 28. ISBN 093526907X
  6. Wilson, D. Ray. Terror on the Plains: A Clash of Cultures. Dundee, Illinois: Crossroads Communications, 1999. p. 239. ISBN 091644547X
  7. Sterner, C. Douglas (1999). "MOH Citation for Elsatsoosh". MOH Recipients: Indian Campaigns. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  8. Army Times Publishing Company. "Military Times Hall of Valor: Elsatsoosh". Awards and Citations: Medal of Honor. MilitaryTimes.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  9. Zedric, Lance Q. and Michael F. Dilley. Elite Warriors: 300 Years of America's Best Fighting Troops. Ventura, California: Pathfinder Publishing of California, 1996. p. 111, ISBN 0934793603
  10. Owens, Ron. Medal of Honor: Historical Facts & Figures. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2004. pp. 171, 192. ISBN 1563119951
  11. Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. p. 148, ISBN 1594160163
  12. Perkins, E.J. (September 12, 2006). "Arizona and the Medal of Honor". Special Report. AZCentral.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  13. Robinson, Gary and Phil Lucas. From Warriors to Soldiers: A History of American Indian Service in the United States Military. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, 2010. p. 96. ISBN 1936236001
  14. "Medal of Honor recipients". Indian War Campaigns. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.

Further reading
  • Hirschfelder, Arlene B. and Martha Kreipe De Montaño. The Native American Almanac: A Portrait of Native America Today. New York: Prentice Hall, 1993. ISBN 0671850121
  • Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0306811707
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