I donated the Ravi D. Goel collection of Samuel James Renwick McMillan family papers, 1818-1956 to the Minnesota Historical Society in 2021.
The McMillan collection includes the earliest known photo of Medal of Honor recipient Albert McMillan (Princeton 1884). McMillan served at the controversial Battle of Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. He was among twenty soldiers who received the Medal of Honor after the battle. The collection also includes the vellum certificate which appointed McMillan to the rank of Sergeant Major in the 7th Cavalry, effective December 30, 1890.
The Albert McMillan details from my original blog post are below. (See also Minnesota Historical Society finding aid)
Part V. Albert Walter McMillan (1862 – 1948). Son of SJRM. Princeton Class of 1884.
Item #12 (AWM #1) – Cabinet photo portrait, with ink notation “Albert W. McMillan” on back. CA Zimmerman, 9 W. 3rd St. Paul, Minnesota (C. A. Zimmerman was at “9 W 3rd” from 1881-1894.)
The Army At Wounded Knee blog post states, “Albert McMillan’s passport photograph from 1918 is perhaps the only image of this Medal of Honor recipient.” The cabinet photo portrait is the second known photo of Albert W. McMillan to survive.
Based on the cabinet photo portrait, I have also identified an 1890-1891 military photo from the US Archives which may include McMillan. See “Officers in tent by fire during the Pine Ridge campaign, 1890–91” (US National Archives photo) in which McMillan appears to be seated at the right.
See Princeton University Archives blog post here.
The Princeton Archives may also have a photo, though McMillan’s photo does not appear in Michael Goldstein’s 2010 Princeton Alumni Weekly article on Princeton’s Medal of Honor recipients. A Princeton Class of 1884 group portrait appears in a Princeton University Archives blog post here.
Item #13 (AWM #2) – Signed Marksman’s Certificate No. 380 awarded to Albert W. McMillan, dated St. Louis, Mo. Oct. 1, 1890 by the Office of the Inspector of Small-Arms Practice, Headquarters Departments of the Missouri.
Item #14 (AWM #3) – Headquarters of the Army, Washington D.C. dated December 1, 1890, addressed to Hon. S. I. [sic] R. McMillan/St. Paul, Minnesota – regarding his son’s decision not to compete for an Army commission and applying for transfer to the seventh Cavalry. Typewritten letter, first page only, not signed.
Item #15 (AWM #4) – Vellum certificate appointing Albert W. McMillan to the rank of Sergeant Major in the 7th Cavalry, effective December 30, 1890, dated January 13, 1891, and signed by Redfield Proctor as Secretary of War and J(ohn) C. Kelton as Adjutant General. Note evidence of damp exposure/staining to the lower third of the document.
Note: The effective appointment date, 12/30/1890, is one day after the Battle of Wounded Knee on 12/29/1890. This original document corrects other sources. The Minnesota Medal of Honor and Army at Wounded Knee list a promotion date of 12/31/1890 (pdf link).
Item #16 (AWM #5) – ALS with date stamped envelope, Fort Riley, Kansas June 25,1891, from Albert McMillan to SJRM in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Description of wind storm, reference to returning “Jessie’s letters ‘as requested’” (possibly for her collection of family papers), and a reference to a pending Presidential appointment.
Albert W. McMillan writes, “How long do you think it will be before it can be settled as to whether the President will appoint? I can hardly see now how he can do it but of course I do not fully understand all the points in the case.”
Of note, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society lists McMillan’s Medal of Honor “presentation date” as June 23, 1891. The Citation states, “While engaged with Indians concealed in a ravine, he assisted the men on the skirmish line, directed their fire, encouraged them by example, and used every effort to dislodge the enemy.” (See also Medals of honor issued by the War department, up to and including October 31, 1897)
From Fort Riley, Kansas on June 25, 1891, is newly awarded Medal of Honor recipient McMillan referring to an appointment to another position? Most intriguing!
Addendum
On May 19, 2024, Dr. Dwight S. Mears responded to my December 2023 X(Twitter) post about this blog post. He states, “Here’s a legal article I just published recommending how the awards like McMillan’s could and should be revoked.” The article is available here.
Albert Walter McMillan (1862 – 1948), son of SJRM
- “Sergeant Albert Walter McMillan,” Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial (pdf link)
- “This Week in Princeton History for January 5-11.” Princeton University Archives includes Class of 1884 group portrait (link)
- “The Medal of Honor.” Michael Goldstein ‘78. Princeton Alumni Weekly. 11/3/2010. (link)
- “Officers in tent by fire during the Pine Ridge campaign, 1890–91” (US National Archives photo which I believe compliments my photo.) (link)
- “Sergeant Albert Walter McMillan, E Troop, 7th Cavalry – Conspicuous Gallantry.” See Army At Wounded Knee blog (link).
- “Congress Members Propose Rescinding Medals of Honor for Wounded Knee” (HistoryNet.com link)
- “Elizabeth Warren Wants to Revoke Medals of Honor for Wounded Knee Massacre” NY Times, 11/27/2019.
- “Wounded Knee – A Look at the Record.” Field Artillery Journal (Jan-Feb 1939), p. 5-25.
- U.S. Army Medal of Honor Recipients (link)
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Wounded Knee Massacre (military.wikia.org)
- “Indian Campaigns – US Army – Albert Walter McMillan.” The Congressional Medal of Honor Society includes citation and appointment date. (link)
- Medals of honor issued by the War department, up to and including October 31, 1897, with the laws, orders, and regulations relative to the medal, the ribbon to be worn with the medal, and the knot to be worn in lieu of the medal. (US Govt Printing Office, 1897) (LCCN Permalink)
- “Congressional Medal of Honor File of Sergeant Albert W. McMillan, Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment” (National Archives Catalog link. I have not reviewed this file.)
- “McMillan, Albert W. — Private, Seventh Cavalry, Company E” (Court Martial Case file. National Archives Catalog link. I have not reviewed this file.)
- Dwight S. Mears, Removing the Stain Without Undermining Military Awards: Revoking Medals Earned at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890, 48 Am. Indian L. Rev. 179 (2024),
https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/ailr/vol48/iss1/7
Dr. Goel collects historical documents as a hobby. He has donated manuscripts and collections to Amherst College, Dickinson College, Forest History Society, Harvard University, Minnesota Historical Society, Princeton University, Yale University, and YIVO Institute. Dr. Goel’s collections were recently profiled in The Ophthalmologist, The Wills Eye Alumni Society Newsletter (pdf), and Yale Reunion Giving Volunteer Newsletter (blog post).
Great post and great photo/documents.