Wilber Elliott Wilder

Wilber Elliott Wilder
Born August 18, 1857(1857-08-18)
Atlas, Michigan
Died January 30, 1952(1952-01-30) (aged 94)
Governors Island, New York
Place of burial Fairlawn Cemetery, Ridgefield, Connecticut
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1877–1927
Rank Brigadier General
Battles/wars Indian Wars
Spanish American War
Pancho Villa Expedition
World War I
Awards Medal of Honor

Wilber Elliott Wilder (August 18, 1857 – January 30, 1952) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for rescuing a wounded soldier under heavy fire.[1]

Contents

Education and army career

He married Violet Blair Martin, of the prominent Throop-Martin family of "Willowbrook" near Auburn, New York, on April 16, 1884. They had a son, Wilber, and a daughter, Violet.[2] In 1886 he was a key figure in negotiating the surrender of the Apache chief Geronimo.[2][3][4] While an Army Captain, he served as park superintendent of Yellowstone National Park from March 15, 1899 - June 22, 1899.[5] He also served in Spanish-American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I. At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving graduate of the Academy. He died in Governors Island, New York but was residing in Ridgefield, Connecticut at the time.[6]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Horseshoe Canyon, N. Mex., 23 April 1882. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Birth: Atlas, Mich. Date of issue: 17 August 1896.

Citation: Assisted, under a heavy fire, to rescue a wounded comrade.[1]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. ^ a b "Medal of Honor recipients Indian Wars Period". Army Center of Military History. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/indianwars.html. Retrieved 2009-04-17. 
  2. ^ a b "Wilber Elliott Wilder". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6160852. Retrieved 2009-04-18. 
  3. ^ Gatewood, Charles B. (2009). Lt. Charles Gatewood & his Apache wars memoir. Lincoln, NE: Bison Books. pp. 241, 257. ISBN 0803218842. 
  4. ^ Thrapp, Dan L. (1979). Conquest of Apacheria. Norman, OK: University of Oklahom Press. pp. 356. ISBN 0806112867. 
  5. ^ "Historic Listing of National Park Service Officials". National Park Service. 2000. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/tolson/histlist7y.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-18. 
  6. ^ "Obituaries". TIME. 1952-02-11. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,815989,00.html?iid=digg_share. Retrieved 2009-04-18. 

External links