Years of service 1876–1904 Awards Medal of Honor Rank Brigadier General | Name Oscar Long | |
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Born June 16, 1852
Utica, New York ( 1852-06-16 ) Place of burial Mountain View Cemetery,
Oakland, California Allegiance United States of America Died December 23, 1928, Piedmont, California, United States Education United States Military Academy Similar People Romualdo Pacheco, Henry Perrin Coon, George Clement Perkins | ||
Battles/wars American Indian Wars Service/branch United States Army Battles and wars American Indian Wars | ||
Oscar Fitzalan Long (June 16, 1852 – December 23, 1928) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on September 30, 1877 near Bear Paw Mountain, Montana. An 1876 graduate of West Point, he served in the Army until 1904.
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Education and American Indian Wars
Long was born in Utica, New York in 1852. He received an appointment to West Point, graduating in 1876. He served most of his Army career in the American West. During the campaign against Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in the fall of 1877, Long was one of nine men who received the Medal of Honor for valor at the Battle of Bear Paw Mountain.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Bear Paw Mountain, Mont., 30 September 1877. Entered service at: Utica, N.Y. Born: 16 June 1852, Utica, N.Y. Date of issue: 22 March 1895.
Citation:
"Having been directed to order a troop of cavalry to advance, and finding both its officers killed, he voluntarily assumed command, and under a heavy fire from the Indians advanced the troop to its proper position."
Life after the frontier
After retiring as a Brigadier General in 1904, Long moved to Oakland, California and became a businessman. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. He has a collection of papers on file at the University of California, Berkeley. Long is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.