Nantaje (fl. 1872 – 1875), also called Nantahe, was an Apache Indian scout in the U.S. Army who served under Lieutenant Colonel George Crook during the Apache Wars. He guided cavalry troopers against renegade Apaches in the Arizona Territory during Crook's winter campaign of 1872-73 and was one of ten scouts who later received the Medal of Honor for gallantry.
Biography Born in the Arizona Territory, Nantaje (or Nantahe) was one of ten Apache Indian scout hired by the U.S. Army for Lieutenant Colonel George Crook's expedition against renegades in Arizona following the surrender of Cochise in late 1872. He guided cavalry troopers in the Tonto Basin, where the Western Apache and Yavapais raiding parties had successfully eluded U.S. troops for several years, and saw action against the Apache during Crook's winter campaign of 1872–73. In one of these engagements, Nantaje led a group of sharpshooters to the mouth of a cave to ambush a number of Yavapai hiding there.
A total of 23 men received the Medal of Honor. All 10 Indian scouts, including Nantaje, received the awardManning, Robert, ed. Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985. (pg. 81) Beyer, Walter F. and Oscar Frederick Keydel, ed. Deeds of Valor: From Records in the Archives of the United States Government; how American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor; History of Our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who Were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations. Vol. 2. Detroit: Perrien-Keydel Company, 1906. (pg. 552)Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863-1978, 96th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979. (pg. 951) on April 12, 1875,Hannings, Bud. A Portrait of the Stars and Stripes. Glenside, Pennsylvania: Seniram Publishing, 1988. (pg. 396) O'Neal, Bill. Fighting Men of the Indian Wars: A Biographical Encyclopedia of the Mountain Men, Soldiers, Cowboys, and Pioneers Who Took Up Arms During America's Westward Expansion. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Barbed Wire Press, 1991. (pg. 28) for "gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches". The other scouts included William Alchesay, Blanquet, Chiquito, Elsatsoosu, Jim, Kelsay, Kosoha, Machol and Nannasaddie.Zedric, Lance Q. and Michael F. Dilley. Elite Warriors: 300 Years of America's Best Fighting Troops. Ventura, California: Pathfinder Publishing of California, 1996. (pg. 111) Owens, Ron. Medal of Honor: Historical Facts & Figures. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2004. (pg. 171, 192) Yenne, Bill. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2006. (pg. 148) Robinson, Gary and Phil Lucas. From Warriors to Soldiers: A History of American Indian Service in the United States Military. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, 2010. (pg. 96)
Medal of Honor citation Rank and organization: Indian Scouts. Place and date: 1872–73. Entered service at:------. Birth: Arizona. Date of issue: 12 April 1875.
Citation:
Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
See also
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
References
Further reading Hirschfelder, Arlene B. and Martha Kreipe De Montaño. The Native American Almanac: A Portrait of Native America Today. New York: Prentice Hall, 1993. Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002.
External links