All Topics  
Indian Campaign Medal

 
Indian Campaign Medal

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Indian Campaign Medal



 
 
The Indian Campaign Medal is a decoration of the United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 which was first created in 1905. The medal was retroactively awarded to any soldier of the U.S. Army who had participated in military actions against Native American Indians
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 between the years of 1790 to 1891.

The United States Department of the Army
United States Department of the Army

The Department of the Army is one of the three service departments in the United States Department of Defense. It is headed by the United States Secretary of the Army, a civilian, who is responsible for the administrative affairs of the United States Army....
 declared the following fourteen campaigns as credible service to the Indian Campaign Medal:



The Indian Campaign Medal was issued as a one-time decoration only and there were no devices or service stars authorized for those who had participated in multiple actions.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Indian Campaign Medal'
Start a new discussion about 'Indian Campaign Medal'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Indian Campaign Medal is a decoration of the United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 which was first created in 1905. The medal was retroactively awarded to any soldier of the U.S. Army who had participated in military actions against Native American Indians
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 between the years of 1790 to 1891.

The United States Department of the Army
United States Department of the Army

The Department of the Army is one of the three service departments in the United States Department of Defense. It is headed by the United States Secretary of the Army, a civilian, who is responsible for the administrative affairs of the United States Army....
 declared the following fourteen campaigns as credible service to the Indian Campaign Medal:

  • Miami Campaign, part of the Northwest Indian War
    Northwest Indian War

    The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a large confederation of Native Americans in the United States for control of the Northwest Territory, which ended with a decisive U.S....
     (January, 1790–August, 1795).
  • Battle of Tippecanoe
    Battle of Tippecanoe

    The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor of Indiana William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and forces of Tecumseh's growing Native Americans in the United States confederation led by his brother, Tenskwatawa....
    , part of Tecumseh's War
    Tecumseh's War

    Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indians in the United States confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh....
     (September 21–November 18, 1811).
  • Creek Campaigns or Creek War
    Creek War

    The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek people nation. It is sometimes considered to be part of the War of 1812....
     (July 27, 1813–August 9, 1814 and February, 1836–July, 1837).
  • Seminole Campaigns or Seminole Wars
    Seminole Wars

    The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between various groups of Native Americans in the United States, collectively known as Seminoles, and the United States....
     (November 20, 1817–October 31, 1818; December 28, 1835–August 14, 1842; and December 15, 1855–May, 1858).
  • Black Hawk Campaign or Black Hawk War
    Black Hawk War

    The Black Hawk War was fought in 1832 in the Midwestern United States. The war was named for Black Hawk , a war chief of the Sauk, Fox , and Kickapoo Native Americans in the United States, whose British Band fought against the United States Army and militia from Illinois and the Michigan Territory for possession of lands in the area....
     (April 26–September, 1832).
  • Comanche Campaign
    Comanche Campaign

    The Comanche Campaign was a series of conflicts that took place throughout the border regions of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas, between the Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne tribes of Native Americans in the United States and the United States Army and white settlers....
     (1867–1875).
  • Modoc Campaign or Modoc War
    Modoc War

    The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native Americans in the United States Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872-1873, The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon....
     (1872–1873).
  • Apache Campaigns or Apache Wars
    Apache Wars

    The Apache Wars were fought during the nineteenth century between the U.S. military and many tribes in what is now the southwestern United States....
     (1873 and 1885–1886).
  • Little Big Horn Campaign or Black Hills War
    Black Hills War

    The Black Hills War was a series of conflicts between the Lakota people , their allies, and the United States from 1876 until 1877....
     (1876–1877).
  • Nez Perce Campaign or Nez Perce War
    Nez Perce War

    The Nez Perce War was a series of battles between the Nez Perce and the United States government. The Nez Perce were led by several chiefs, including Chief Joseph, Chief Ollicot, Chief White Bird and Chief Too'hoo'lu'sult and Chief Looking Glass....
     (1877).
  • Bannock Campaign or Bannock War
    Bannock War

    The Bannock War was an series of conflicts in 1878 between the Bannock and Northern Shoshone tribes and the United States.Background ...
     (1878).
  • Cheyenne Campaign or Cheyenne War
    Cheyenne War

    The Cheyenne War, also known as the Cheyenne Campaign, normally refers to a conflict between the United States' armed forces and a small group of Cheyenne families, which took place between 1878–1879....
     (1878–1879).
  • Ute Campaign or Ute War
    Ute War

    Ute War may refer to a number of conflicts with the Ute tribe:*Walkara#Walker War 1853-1854*Tintic War 1856*Black Hawk War 1865-1872*White River War 1879...
     (September, 1879–November, 1880).
  • Pine Ridge Campaign
    Pine Ridge Campaign

    The Pine Ridge Campaign was the result of a number of unresolved grievances which led to the last major "conflict" with the Sioux, the Wounded Knee Massacre....
     (November, 1890–January, 1891).


The Indian Campaign Medal was issued as a one-time decoration only and there were no devices or service stars authorized for those who had participated in multiple actions. The only attachment authorized to the medal was the silver citation star, awarded for meritorious or heroic conduct. The silver citation star was the predecessor of the Silver Star
Silver Star

The Silver Star is the third highest Awards and decorations of the United States military that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces....
 and was awarded to eleven soldiers between 1865 and 1891.

In the mid-20th century, the Army declared the Indian Campaign Medal obsolete and began an effort, under pressure, to collect and destroy original and reproduced Indian Campaign Medals. This was due in large part to the notion that the Indian Campaign Medal represented an effort to subjugate a culture and its people. In the modern age, the Indian Campaign Medal is one of the most difficult antique decorations to locate.

Background

a. The Indian Campaign Medal was established by War Department General Orders 12 in 1907. It was created at the same time as the Civil War Campaign Medal
Civil War Campaign Medal

The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States military....
.

b. The initial ribbon was all red; however, two black stripes were added in December 1917 because of the similarity to a ribbon used by the French for the French Legion of Honor.

c. Campaign streamers of the same design as the service ribbon are authorized for display by units receiving campaign credit participation for the Indian Wars. The inscriptions for streamers displayed on the organizational flag will be as indicated in the unit's lineage and honors. The inscriptions for the 14 streamers displayed on the Army flag are listed in AR 840-10 and AR 600-8-22.


See also

  • Awards and decorations of the United States military
    Awards and decorations of the United States military

    Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces....
  • Indian Wars
    Indian Wars

    Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
  • U.S. military history: Indian conflicts, wars, battles, expeditions and campaigns
    Military history of the United States

    The military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries. During the course of those years, the United States evolved from an alliance of Thirteen Colonies without a professional Armed force to the world's sole remaining superpower of the late 20th and early 21st centuries....