The Indianapolis journal., 1890-06-10
THE UNITED STATES MEDAL OF HONOR.


THE UNITED STATES MEDAL OF HONOR.
A bill is now pending before the mill
tary committee of the House providing
that medals of honor shall be struck and
presented to the surviving soldiers of a
storming column which was to attack
the works at Port Hudson, in 1868. The
order for the attack was issued by Gen.
Banks, who had pushed the siege of
Port Hudson up to point where it was
thought final assault would carry
them. Two previous attacks had been
made unsuccessfully, aud with great
loss. and this was something of for
lorn hope. In his order calling for an
assaulting column, General Banks said:
The commanding general summons the
bold men of the corps to the organization
OF q stOrming column of thousand men,
to vindicate the flag of the Union and the
memory of it's defenders who have fallen:
Let them come forward. Officers who lead
the column to victory in this last assault
may be assured of the just recognition of
their services by promotion, and every
officer and soldier who shares its perils
and its glory shall receive medal fit
to commemorate the first grand success
of the campaign of 1863 for the freedom OF
the Mississippi His name will be placed
in general orders upon the roll of honor.
The storming column was formed, and
the brave men who composed it were
ready to do their duty, but the attack
was not made. The surrender of Vicks-
burg on the 4th of July, 1868, was fol-
lowed almost Immediately by that of
Port Hudson, and there was, of course,
no necessity for an assault. Under the
circumstances some members of the
committee hesitate about ordering the
medals. General Banks, now a member
of Congress, urges its passage, and ex-
plains that it was not the intention of
his order to make the issuing of the
medals dependent on the success of the
assault. But as a question of military
ethics it is doubtful if special h0norof
this kind should be awarded for serv-
ice that was never perfoSmed.
The medal of honor is the one decora-
tion that the government of the United
State gives to those of its soldiers who
distinguish themselves by some act of
individual gallantry. 1t was authorized
by joint resolution of Congress, ap-
proved July 12, 1862, which directed
President Lincoln to cause two thousand
medals to be prepared. with suitable
emblematic devices, and to direct that
1.-The same be presented, in the name of
Congress, to such nOn-commissioned Of
| ficers and privates as shall most distin-
guish themselves by their gallantry in
action and their soldier like qualities
| during the present insurrectiOn." March
8, 1868, Congress appropriated $4,000
| for additional medals from the same
dies, providing this time that commits
stoned officers, as well as non-commis-
stoned officers and privates, might re-
and is a beautiful piece of workman
ship. A large majority of them went to
enlisted men in the volunteer ranks for
acts of special personal gallantry. The
history of the world does not furnish a
more remarkable record of acts of per-
sonal bravery than those for which the
medal has been awarded. The follow
| ing list shows the Indiana soldiers who
have received it, and for what service:
| Thomas j. Box. captain, Twenty seventh
Indiana, for capture of flag at Resaca. Ca.
| May 25, 1864.
John Davis, private, Seventeenth Indi-
C. b. Evans, private, Third Indiana Cav
| airy, for capture of flag at Sailors Creek,
William /. Holmes private, Third Indi-
ana Cavalry. for captufe of flag at Sailors s
Greek. April 6, 1863 -s--a
Aaron X. Hudson, private Seventeenth
Indiana, for capture of flag at iCulloden,
Absaiom Jordan. corporal. Third Indiana
Cavalry, Tor capture of flag at Sailors
Creek, Va, April 6, 1866.
Jeremiah Kuder. lieutenant, Seventy
fourth Indiana. for capture of flags at
Jonesborough, Ca, Sept. 1, 1864.
John b. Lynch, private. Third Indiana
| Cavalry, for carrying dispatch from Pres
ident Lincoln to General Grant. at Fred
ericksburg Va, May 6, 1854.
John y. Opel, private. seventh lndiana.
51i isss. sap'''' OF nag At ids'ns''' Va May
William Shepherd. private Third Indi-
| ana Cavalry, tor capture of flag at Sailors
Creek, Va, April 6. 1865.
| John II. Sterling, private. Eleventh In
diana, for gallantry at Winchester, Va,
Sept. 10, 1864.
Richard Taylor. private. Eighteenth In
| diana, for capture of flag at Cedar Creek,
| Va, Oct. 19, 1854.
Peter j. Ryan, private. Eleventh Indiana,
for capture of fourteen confederates during
battle, at Winchester. Va, Sept. 10, 1864.
Oliver p. Road, private, Twentieth In
diana, for capture of flag, at Gettysburg,
| Pa, July 8. 1863.
The only instance in which the medal
was awarded to a considerable body of
men at once was that of the Twenty
seventh Maine Regiment, which, at Get
| tysburg, July 1, 1868, volunteered to re-
main and take part in the battle, al
though its term of service had expired.
For this the entire regiment, officers and
privates, received the medal of honor
The case of General Banks's storming
party that did not storm does not seem
to be an exceptionally strong one fol-
l euch racoOnition