Nantaje (

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1872 – 1875), also called Nantahe, was an

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

Indian scout in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

who served under Lieutenant Colonel

George Crook George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer who served in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He is best known for commanding U.S. forces in the Geronimo Campaign, 1886 campaign that ...

during the

Apache Wars The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the Southwestern United States, southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as l ...

. He guided cavalry troopers against renegade Apaches in the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

during Crook's winter campaign of 1872-73 and was one of ten scouts who later received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for gallantry.

Biography

Born in the

, Nantaje (or Nantahe) was one of ten

Indian scout hired by the

for Lieutenant Colonel

's expedition against renegades in Arizona following the surrender of

Cochise Cochise ( ; Apache: or , ; later or , ; June 8, 1874) was the leader of the Chiricahui local group of the Chokonen and principal nantan of the Chokonen band of a Chiricahua Apache. A key war leader during the Apache Wars, he led an upri ...

in late 1872. He guided cavalry troopers in the

Tonto Basin The Tonto Basin, also known as Pleasant Valley, covers the main drainage basin of Tonto Creek and its tributaries in central Arizona, at the southwest of the Mogollon Rim, the higher elevation '' transition zone'' across central and eastern Ariz ...

, where the

Western Apache The Western Apache are an Indigenous people of North America, and a subgroup of the greater Apache identity, who live primarily in east central Arizona, in the United States and north of Mexico in the states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Most live ...

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

. 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) 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 Blanquet was an Indian Scout in the United States Army and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Indian Wars of the western United States. An Apache born in Arizona, Blanquet served ...

, Chiquito,

Elsatsoosu Elsatsoosu (fl. 1872–1875), also called Elsatsoosh, 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 Territ ...

, Jim,

Kelsay Kelsay was an Indian scout serving in the United States Army during the Indian Wars who received the Medal of Honor for bravery. Biography Kelsay was born in Arizona and after entering the army served as a scout in the Indian Wars. He received t ...

Kosoha Kosoha was an Indian scout serving in the United States Army during the Indian Wars who received the Medal of Honor for bravery. Biography Kosoha was born in Arizona and, after entering the army, served as a scout in the Indian Wars. He received ...

, 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.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nantaje Year of birth missing Year of death missing Apache people 19th-century Native American people Native American people of the Indian Wars Native American United States military personnel United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Military personnel from Arizona United States Army soldiers United States Army Indian Scouts American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

Further reading

External links