Frederick E. Toy

Frederick Ernest Toy (1860s – August 5, 1933) was a soldier in the U.S. Army during the Indian and Spanish–American Wars; During his enlisted service, he was assigned to the 7th Cavalry Regiment until promoted to ordnance sergeant and served at a variety of posts.

All of Toy's service was with Troop G, 7th Cavalry Regiment until he was promoted to ordnance sergeant.

[4] In April 1888, Toy was promoted from corporal to sergeant while assigned to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

[13] Toy, a sergeant on the day of the battle, was commanded by Captain Winfield Scott Edgerly.

Toy was cited for "bravery displayed while shooting hostile Indians;" It was changed on the final citation after being returned by the War Department.

Captain Edgerly said Sergeant Toy did "deliberately aim at and hit two Indians who had run into the ravine."

[11] On October 13, 1908, the War Department ordered Toy, then at Madison Barracks, to report to Fort Niagara, New York for duty.

[18][dubious – discuss] During World War I, Toy was among retired Regular Army personnel who were recalled to serve as trainers; he was commissioned as a captain in the Quartermaster Corps and assigned to the 303d Stevedore Regiment; he returned to his Niagara Falls, New York home on July 18, 1919 and anticipated mustering out of the U.S. Army during August 1919.

"[22] Toy, identified as a major, commanded the Special Troops, 98th Infantry Division (part of the Organized Reserve of New York State) from March 26, 1922 to November 10, 1924.

[23] Toy, again identified as a major, was ordered to attend training camp from July 15 through August 2, 1922.

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Sergeant Frederick Ernest Toy, United States Army, for bravery on 29 December 1890, while serving with Company G, 7th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota.

[5]There have been several attempts by various parties to rescind the Medals of Honor awarded in connection with the Battle of Wounded Knee.

[29][30][31] Proponents claim that the engagement was in-fact a massacre and not a battle, due to the high number of killed and wounded Lakota women and children and the very one-sided casualty counts.

[35] The Army has also been criticized more generally for the seemingly disproportionate number of Medals of Honor awarded in connection with the battle.

[43][32] Frederick Toy's name is memorialized on side C of the Medal of Honor monument in Niagara Falls State Park.