The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-04
BADGES OF DARING
THE MEDAL OF HONOR CONFERRED
BY CONGRESS ON AMERICAN
SOLDIERS.
ONE ST. PAUL MAN WEARS ONE
AND HE HAS CALLED A MEETING
OF THE ASSOCIATION
HERE,
MANY MEN OF NATIONAL FAME
Are Enrolled ON the Lists of This
Comparatively Unheard-of
Company.
ONE ST. PAUL MAN WEARS ONE
ANY MEN OF NATIONAL FAME

An III 0AAA
Army now present in st. Paul are rep
resentativeS of a number of auxiliary
organizations. Perhaps the one least
known by the general public Is the
Medal Of Honor Legion. This is COM
posed of men who have received from
congress medals for unusual acts of
daring and bravery, either on land or
sea, I'm h service of the United States
army or navy. There is no distinction
between officer and private, the only
test of eligibility to membership being
the ownership Of such a medal as men
tened. There are about 1000 men who
have had these medals given to them,
and about 200 of that number belong
to h Legion, which las been in ex-
istince about six years.
AS already indicated, the organization
is military and naval. The constitu-
ton has h following preamble: BE
lieving that the greatest fact in modern
history is the preservation of the Union
and the Constitution, and grateful to
almighty God for having by our efforts,
aided in It's accomplishment, profound
ly. sensible that God alone is truly great,
while man at his best and bravest, is
very little, and reverentIy thankful for
the protecting and o~verruling power
and care Of Divine Providence, con-
stantly manifested in every epoch Of
our history, we, officers and enlisted
men, soldiers, petty officers, seamen,
landsmen and marines of the Regular
and Volunteer Army, Navy and Marine
Corps of the United States, do associate
ourselves under this Constitution and
Bylaws"
In stating the objects of the organic
alton, they declare that having In the
darkest hours Of their country's history,
attested their fidelity, they now, in a
golden era Of patriotism and prosperity,
bind themselves to low with equal
sincerity and earnestness all portions Of
their country and to teach by conduct
and example obedience to a sacred and
venerated constitution and the laws of
the land, n a common devotion to
the Union, and to the one flag which
alone represents it's greatness, power
and glory.
The army medal is a five pointed
star, tipped with trefoil, each point con-
tanning a crown OF laurel and oak. In
the middle, within a circle Of thirty
foul stars, America, ~personified as
Minerva, stands with her left hand
resting on the fasces, while with her
right, in which she holds a shield en-
blazoned with the American arms, she
repulses Discord, represented with two
snakes in each hand, the Who'll sus-
pended by a trophy Of two crossed can
nons, balls n a sword surmounted
by the American eagle, which is unit
ed by a ribbon of thirteen stripes, and
a blue field to a clasp composed Of two
cornucopias and the American arms.
The navy medal differs from the army
chiefly in having the tophy formed by
an anchor II g. star, instead of the
crossed cannon n eagle.
The medals were provided for by
acts of congress in 1851, 1852 and 1863,
and a considerable sum of money ap-
propriated to pay for issuing them.
The only man in st. Paul who holds
one Of the medals is James Allen, Of 173
South Wabasha street, q member of
Garfield Post, G. A. r. Upon the re-
verse side Of Mr.. Aliens medal is the
following inscription: "The Congress
to Private James Allen, Company r,
Sixteenth New York volunteers, for
bravery at Campton's Pass, South
Mountains, Md, Sept. IA. 1852" Z The
by him of the Sixteenth Georgia colors
and fourteen prisoners. The circum-
stances We're as follows:
Mr.. Aliens company was marching
through a cornf1eld, following the rows
OF corn. An order to change the di-
rection was unheard by him and a
comrade named Richards. They thus
became separated, and when thew
reached the end of the ~cornfield discov-
cred for the first time that they were
alone. About the same time they were
greeted by a volley from a detach-
ment of rebels lying behind q stone
wall. Hastily consulting together, they
decided to charge, and drive the enc
my out from behind the wall. As they
made the charge another volley greet
ed them, but, like the first, 1t went over
their heads. The enemy retreated up
the mountain as the two soldiers
scaled the wall. Allen and Richards
followed, but when about three rods
fromthe fence, Richards had his thigh
broken by a bullet, and was assisted
to a safe place behind a large tree
by Allen, who then started alone in
pursuit of the enemy. They retreated
up the mountain until they reached
a place where a road ran through a
ravfne known as Champion Pass, about
half way to the summit. This road at
the point where the party reached ii
was supported by a stone wall several
feet high. The ~confederates scaled this
WALL and lay down In the road to
and found himself In the presence of
fourteen confederates. He at once de-
manded their surrender as prisoners
of a They hesitated a little and
looked at each other. when Allen sharp
ly ordered them to stack arms. They
Obeyed the order and Mr.. Allen stepped
between them and the guns and or
dered them to take off their belts.
mel of Aliens regiment, who had been