Of the 3,528 Medal of Honor Recipients, only eight are confirmed to have been born in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1845, Moses Williams was born in Carrollton. Located just outside of New Orleans then, Carrollton is now one of the many neighborhoods that make up the city. What little is known about Williams’ early life in Louisiana comes from an 1870s Army reenlistment form, where he noted that his parents died when he was an infant and that he lost two siblings to illness. Whether Williams was born enslaved or free is unknown.
In October 1866, Williams enlisted in the Army in Lake Providence, Louisiana. He was assigned to the 9th US Cavalry, one of six all-Black regiments authorized by Congress. Throughout the Indian Wars, the Black soldiers of these units impressed American Indians with their bravery and tenacity in battle, who acknowledged their respect for the men by giving them the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers.” In the post-Civil War years, former slaves, freemen, and those who had served in the Army during the war became the first Black men to serve in the US Army in peacetime.
For men like Williams, the Army provided an opportunity for work and education. Buffalo Soldiers served across the American West, escorting settlers and cattle herds as well as protecting railroad crews, and participating in campaigns against American Indians in the Southwest. The 9th US Cavalry, constituted in July 1866, was organized later that year in Louisiana. For more than 20 years, the 9th Cavalry worked across the Southwest, protecting the expanding frontier. Fifteen men, including Williams, earned the Medal of Honor for their service.
In August 1881, Williams participated in a battle in the Cuchillo Negro Mountains of New Mexico. Although the Indian Wars were winding down, his company was ordered to pursue a group of Apache who were carrying out raids on settlers. The engagement intensified as Williams led multiple flanking attacks and rallied his men to keep fighting. Overwhelmed by the opposition, Williams’ company began to withdraw. Williams and his lieutenant positioned themselves to draw fire away from the three soldiers who had been cut off from the unit, allowing them to escape.
Several years later, Williams learned two other men in his unit had received the Medal of Honor. As was still common at the time, men who felt they had gone above and beyond could petition the Army to receive the Medal. Williams began to pursue the award for himself, and reached out to his former commanding officer, who agreed his service in the Cuchillo Negro Mountains merited the Medal. The officer wrote a detailed recommendation letter on Williams’ behalf, and in November 1896, he received the Medal of Honor.
By this time, Williams was 51 years old and had been in the Army for 30 years. Illiterate when he joined in 1866, Williams took advantage of educational opportunities provided by the Army. At his initial enlistment, he had only been able to make his “mark,” unable to sign his name. By his 1871 re-enlistment, Williams was able to sign his name. In addition to learning to read and write, Williams also studied mathematics while serving with the Army. His determination and new skills impressed his commanding officers, who recommended him for the position of ordnance sergeant at Fort Niobrara, Nebraska.
The role of ordnance sergeant was an important one during the frontier years. Posts and forts across the American West needed experienced soldiers who could maintain munitions and provision them in the field as needed. To become an ordnance sergeant, a soldier had to have at least eight years of service and had to pass several exams in math and writing. Williams as an ordnance sergeant for more than 12 years, finally retiring from the Army in 1898, after 32 years of military service.
After his retirement, Williams moved to Vancouver, Washington. Sadly, he died just over a year later at the age of 53 and was buried in the Vancouver Barracks Post Cemetery (now called Fort Vancouver Military Cemetery) at Fort Vancouver. Williams was one of 18 Buffalo Soldiers to earn the Medal of Honor for actions in the American West between 1865 and 1899.
Moses Williams is remembered today by a monument on Officer’s Row at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, dedicated by General Colin Powell in 1991. A few years prior, the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers, a veteran’s group, chartered their chapter in his name. Today, Williams is remembered at the National Medal of Honor Museum for his service and bravery.
Kali Schick is Senior Historian of the
National Medal of Honor Museum
Ordnance Sergeant Moses Williams
Image courtesy of the National Archives
