Walla Walla's Only Medal of Honor Winner
Fort Walla Walla and the townspeople living nearby had a relationship that was sometimes difficult to keep on good footing. During the 1860s and 1870s, the town filled with travelers to the gold fields in Orofino, Idaho, as well as other types who were not reluctant to challenge local authority. Laws were often trampled and the difference between military justice and civilian justice often became a subject of much consternation.
Michael McCarthy was a soldier stationed at Fort Walla Walla with the 1st U.S. Calvary. As a Sergeant during the Nez Perce War in 1877, he was involved in the fierce struggle at Whitebird Canyon, the first major encounter of the war, near Lewiston where the cavalry lost 34 men. He was later awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism in saving many troopers’ lives during that battle, and retired in Walla Walla as a colonel. Michael McCarthy is portrayed by Walla Walla author and businessman Robert Bennett.
Performances begin at 2:00 p.m. in the pioneer settlement at Fort Walla Walla Museum. Visitors are encouraged to question the Living History re-enactors about their lives and times. The Museum is open daily, 10 am - 5 pm, April through October; 10 am - 4 pm, November1 through December 23; and weekdays, 10 am - 4 pm, January through March.
Admission is free to Fort Walla Walla Museum members,
eligible service personnel & their familes through
the Blue Star Museums program, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute's
Inwai Circle cardholders,
enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and all children under 6;
$3/children
6-12; $6/seniors (62+) and students; $7/adults.
Your admission fee today may be applied to a membership,
priced beginning at $27. For more information, contact Fort Walla Walla Museum at 509-525-7703, or email: info@fortwallawallamuseum.org. |
