Louis H. Carpenter

Who was Louis H. Carpenter?

Louis Henry Carpenter was a United States Army brigadier general and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the American Indian Wars.

He dropped out of college to enlist in the Union Army at the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, first as an enlisted soldier before being commissioned as an officer the following year. During the American Civil War, he participated in at least fourteen campaigns primarily with the 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment and as regimental commander of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry Regiment. By the end of the Civil War, he held the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel, colonel of volunteers and also received a commission to first lieutenant in the Regular United States Army.

Carpenter received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Indian Wars while serving with the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th U.S. Cavalry. He was noted several times for gallantry in official dispatches.

After the Civil War and until his transfer back East in 1887, he served primarily on the western frontier. He engaged many Native American tribes, dealt with many types of renegades and explored vast areas of uncharted territory from Texas to Arizona. During the Spanish-American War, he commanded an occupation force and became the first military governor of Puerto Principe, Cuba. After 38 continuous years of service to his country, he retired from the Army on October 19, 1899, as a brigadier general. After his retirement, he became a speaker and a writer.