New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-14
MEDALS or HONOR.
WHO GET THEM AND WHY THEY ARE
AWARDED
AN INTERESTING REPORT on THE SUBJECT HNE-
PARED BY COLONEL. AtNswoRTH-IHE
REGULATIONS AMENDED ny
PRESIDENT &KINLFY.
Inr rELranApM TO THE -RIPuEEl

Chic; OF ne Record and Pension Once OF ''e We
Department has prepared report when VIA Sool.
be published. showing TO whom ana why H'e01, 80
honor have been issued by virtue OF the p'oNls''.
contained in acts 60 Congress approved I"y -
1861 and March 3, 1855. respectively. Inc fepo' "
of great interest and value. and there VIII H'
doubtedly be 4 heavy demand for 1t, NOV 0h'' ''o.
surviving officers and soldiers Of the volunteer ser
vice during the War o: the Rebellion oul a'So
from officers and soldiers Of the Regular Army
mani Of whom havo been the recipients OF meoaS
of honor as rewards for distinguished services IN
action against hostile Indians since that u'"e'
Most careful and thorough Investigations nave peoii
made In order to obtain the facts In every caso 80
which one Of the coveted medals has been iSsueu'
and the published record Will therefore De as @0-
curste ard complete az it could be made
The act approved July ie, 1862, authorized the
striking at the United States Mint OF E0S bronze
medals. at a total cost not exceeding NoVOc' 10 DC
presented in the name OF Congress TO such non
commissioned officers and priyates as shaH most
distinguish themselves by their salantry IN acton
and other SC dierlike qualities during the present
!nsurrection" a further provision IN the suhory
Civil act approved March g. 1853 appropriatins go
900 for additional medals TO be Struck from Tue
dies prepared under the act Of 1852 said medals TO
be presented In the name or Congress 10 sucH
officers non-commissioned officers and prvates as
have most distinguished themselves, or who may
hereafter most distinguish themselves. In action.
The later act broadened the scope Of rewards so
as TO include commissioned officers. and the clearly
expressed intent OF both acts was TO conhe the re-
wards exclusively 20 officers and men IN the inili-
tary service who had earned them by conspicuous.
"most DISTINGUISHED" services. The later act also
prescrihed that the services must have been rem
dered 'ln action" while the earlier one author
led like reward for other soldierlke qualities
as well as for gallantry in action. 1t clearly was
not the intent OF Congress to authorize an mus
crminate promiscuous distribution OF thes9
medals among officers and men who had Simply
done their duty or the field Of battle, as brave
soldiers should, however hazardous and heroic IL
might be but to bes;ow them only az rewards tof
conspicuous gallantry under exceptional cTcuH'-
stances and outside the direct strict requirements
OF military duty.
THE FIRST MEDALS ISSUED.
The FIRST medals of honor were issued In 1868
and were bestowed certain enlisted men he
longing TO Ohio regiments who had responded TO
General Mi,chelrs call for volunteers 10 undertake
a most periious task-the burning OF ral!:oad
bridges and disabling of means of railroad trans
portation within the Confederate lines in Tennessee
and Georgia The survivors Of that raid richly
earned their reward. In 1868 only nineteen OF the
medals were distributed; in 1854 the number In
creased to ninety-seven, and in 1885 1t suddenly
Jumped to the extraordinary total OF lloi VI
these medals. however. fewer than Soi were
bestowed on The officers and mon of single regi-
ment This fortunate regiment was the -''h
and mustered into the service on September ~
1867. 10 serve nine months The regiment. as such.
was never In action. and ali the casualties in 1t
were due to other causes than armed enemies
And vet every member Of the regiment whose name
was borne on the muster-rol on july l. lSOS rev
DAYS before the date Of muster-out' received q
medal of honor The term Of service OF TINS
regiment which was wholly spent within the De"
fences OF Washington. expired on June 80 1865
the day before the battle of Gettysburg opened
but in response to the request OF President Lincoln
and Secretary Stanton some three hundred mem
hsrs Of the command consented TO remain in the
service few days longer. They did so remain
from June 90 to July T. the heights opposite
Washington. The remainder Of the regiment.
some FIVE hundred and sixty in number, left Wash
ington for Maine July !. 1862, and reached home
on July 3. the same day that witnessed the defeat
Of Lees army al Gettysburg. Those who went
home during the battle, as we'll as the smaller
number who remained near Washington until i
ended received medals of honor. Sucn medals
were issued TO eighty-one officers and men OF one
company only eight OF which volunteered 10 re-
main in or near Washington until after the battle.
According to Official pubiica ton issued by the
War Department in 1856 however, the medals were
awarded to the members of the 9th Maine for
volunteering TO remain i'm the service ana partlci-
piration OF their term of service.
On May 9, 1855. medals OF honor were also awarded
10 three commissioned officers and tWcntE-fOT nom
Commissioned officers first sergeants) OF tho Vet
guard detailed TO accompany the body OF the late
President Lincoln from Washington 10 Springfield
s ws '1iS cood ay be escb as WIN
entitled those who performed Il TO me reward Pc
scribed by the acts Of Congress oy virtue % WHO"
the medals were Issued.
MARY E WALKER HAS ONE
In 1856 the total number OF medals awarded dropped
90 nfteen: IN 1867 20 eight and IN 1865 two In
1859 General Grant became Presiien,. and the 'o;al
number OF medals rose TO hsy-th:ee; in 1870 10
eiehty-seven. from which It dropped TO eleven 1911
and to twenty In 1872 In the latter year woman
for the first time the recipient Of medal Of
a sva s "i nv Varv = Walk VIVA ia somewhat
.ifor services rendered during the war" She had
been employed under contract with the Medical
been mustered into or commissioner in tho military
service. She Is the only woman to whom such a med
al mas ever been awarded in the United statcs. In
the period of ten years from 1873 10 1859 only l9i
We're awarded. In the seven years from 1859 10 1859
the total number awarded was only foriy-six, none
dent Cevelands frs, Admins ration.
Honor Legion was formed and the number of APP
pcations for medals. as well as the number award
three were awarded; in 1891 the total was sixty
seven; in l$? 1t was seventy-ihree' In lss5 II was
sixty-e!gh; in 1896 4, rose again 10 nnety-6ve and
during the ten months ended October 81, 1884 the
The whole number Of medals OF honor awarded
under the acts Of 1852 ana 1861 rom July lSSS "hen
2375 OF which ijG 10 officers ana enlisted men
OF the Regular Army for services during ana sub-
sequent to the War OF the Rebellion, and 1913 TO
officers enl enlisted men OF the volunteer service
during the war and OF the 1919 sci, about 4l per
cent. were bestowed upon the members OF a single
regiment. ,, .. -,, 49, .
whether tho awarding of medals for services dur
ing the War of the Rebellion ought not 10 he dis
co.,lnueG In Wow OF lie long lapse Of lime since
the close OF the war. ard a Board Of officers Of
which Adtutant- General Robert Williams was pres
idcni ana Colonies Vincent and Answorth were
The other nembers, was appointed - Investigate
and consider the subject The Board uuaniinousl :
reported In favor OF the disconinuance. and also
IN favor OF requiring that thereafter ali aDpllca-
tions for medals Dy In behalf oil officers sol
diers Of the Regular Army should be barred nm
less made within onc year after such services were
rendered The report was approved 10y Major
General schofeld. then IN command 0: the Army
nut nothing WAS heard of II afterwarl There is
sill strong sentiment In favor OF stopping thf
Issue Of medals Of honor on account % service,
rendered during the War OF the Rebellion. which
closed more than thirty-two years age. thousand.