The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain Charles Albert Varnum, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 30 December 1890, while serving with Company B, 7th U.S. Cavalry, in action at White Clay Creek, South Dakota. While executing an order to withdraw, seeing that a continuance of the movement would expose another troop of his regiment to being cut off and surrounded, Captain Varnum disregarded orders to retire, placed himself in front of his men, led a charge upon the advancing Indians, regained a commanding position that had just been vacated, and thus insured a safe withdrawal of both detachments without further loss.