Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

from January to December 1913. He was one of only three Medal of Honor winners ever to
command Fort Huachuca. Wilder’s Medal of Honor citation credits him for gallantry at Horseshoe
Canyon, New Mexico, on April 23, 1882, when he assisted, under heavy fire, in rescuing a
wounded comrade. A fuller account is presented in Deeds of Valor [Beyer and Keydel, eds.]:
On April 23, 1882, a detachment consisting of six men and six Indian scouts, commanded
by Lieutenant McDonald, 4th U.S. Cavalry, was attacked by a large band of Chiricahua
Apaches, about 20 miles south of Stein’s Pass, near the boundary line between Arizona and
New Mexico. The men put up a brave fight, holding off the Indians with rare skill and
courage. By dint of rapid firing and skillful maneuvering the men held them in check and their
trusty carbines made several of them measure their lengths upon the ground. One by one the
brave men of this little squad fell wounded. Escape was impossible. Annihilation was in sight
unless reinforcements were brought up. As a last resort one of the scouts slipped away from
the detachment and succeeded in making his escape from the desperate situation, and notified
Lieutenant Colonel G. A. Forsyth of the plight his comrades were in. Colonel Forsyth
immediately set out at a gallop with Troops C, F, G, H and M, of the 4th Cavalry, to the relief
of the rest of Lieutenant McDonald’s little party.
The 16 miles which the troops had to travel to reach McDonald’s command were
covered in an incredibly short time, and when they arrived at the scene of the action, they
found McDonald’s men still defending themselves againt the onslaughts of the Indians, but on
the approach of the column the redskins fled. Pursuit was at once taken up and the hostiles
were overtaken in a strongly entrenched position in Horseshoe Canyon, New Mexico [on the
Arizona line]. The command dismounted and promptly attacked them among the rocky
ridges, varying from 400 to 1,600 feet high. While climbing one of these narrow gorges in the
mountains two soldiers, one of whom was Private Edward Leonard, asked permission to
secure an Indian pony just discovered some distance up the mountainby the side of a high
boulder. The men were told that it was probably an ambuscade, but not heeding the advice
they started. They had not gone far, however, when to their surprise a volley was fired from
the top of the boulder, and then only did they realize that the officers’ surmise of an ambuscade
was correct, and they hurried back over the jagged rocks. Leonard slipped and fell
partly behind a rock, and was immediately shot through both his exposed legs. The other man
rejoined the command. First Lieutenant Wilber E. Wilder, of the 4th U.S. Cavalry, seeing
Leonard’s plight, at once advanced along the gorge to his assistance. The entire distance he
was subjected to a severe fire from the Indian sharpshooters, but luckily he arrived at Leonard’s
side in safety, and then, with the ultimate assistance of Leonard’s comrade, who had followed
Wilder, he carried the wounded man down over the rocks amid generous volleys from the
hidden Apaches. For his intrepidity in rescuing Leonard, Lieutenant Wilder was awarded the
Medal of Honor.
The Indians were driven from rock to rock among the mountains, until they dispersed in
every direction and further immediate pursuit was impracticable. They left behind them in this
engagement 13 Indians killed and several wounded. A number of their animals were also
A MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM
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