The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-04

be found in the medal Of honor records
in the war department. In the first
place. the legislation which resulted in
that Official emblem was accompanied
by a good deal of indiscriminate award
ing of medals. sometimes by authority
Of state legislatures. and at other times
by virtue Of general orders from vart-
Gus headquarters. Thus the officers who
served under General Phil" Kearny
adopted a cross of vsior; General n. P.
Banks offered medals to those volun-
teers who would form a storming party
at Port HudSon-an assault, however,
which was never made.
In the early days following the med
al Of honor legislation the medal was
given without much regard 10 any in
vestigation of the claims for the alloJ-
ment and in the first two or three
years 1900 medals had been issued
some Of them for what is now seen to
have been service hardly justifying the
special recognition. In this way, TWEEN
ty-nine men received medals of honor
for accompanying the remains Of Pres
ident Lincoln from Washington TO Hi
nOis. and nearly 900 men who belonged
TO the Twenty seventh Maine infantry
received medals for remaining three
days in the defense Of Washington. -
and doing nothing at all. These mem
bers Of the Maine regiment in 1863 were
encamped at Arlington Heights. and
were asked to remain there for a few
days after their terms Of services had
expired pending the receipt of news
from Gettysburg, where the BATTLE was
being fought. Some 800 Of the officers
and men did remain q few days but
the other $50 members Of the regiment
went home.
Greater care has been exercised in
recent years to make the claims for d
medal Of honor justify the award. so
that out of sixty applications received
last year for the distinction only four
We're approved. II is an interesting
fact that neither Grant. Sheridan nor
Sherman received a medal Of honor
although Grant was awarded a special
gold medal by congress in 1853.
Among those who received medals Of
honor are many who have become well
known in other lines Of work than tina.
of the military. such as Senator Han
na who gained his medal at Port Hud-
son, La. while a sergeant in a Masss-
chusetts regiment; the late Senator
Sewell. who assumed command of
brigade at Charlottesville. fighting his
troops with brilllancy. and remaining
in command through a desperate con-
lict although seriously wounded him
self; Secretary Of the Navy Tracy.
who reformed the broken lire Of the
one Hundredth New York infantry in
the battle of the Wilderness, rescuing
the colors and holding his position:
Congressman Amos J. Cummings Of
New York. who as an enlisted man.
rendered great assistance in the heat
Of action at Salem Heights. Virginia
and rescued part Of one of the field
batteries from an exposed position.
Among the prominent army officers
who survived the civil war 10 distin-
guish themselves in later military op-
erations and who wear medals Of honor
are General Miles. who distinguished
himself at Charlottesville: General J.
N. SchOfield. who was consDicuouslv
gallant at Wilson's Creek. Missouri.
General ". r. Shafter, who stuck to
the field at Fair Oaks, although badly
wounded: General J. NJ Wilson. re-
Gently retired as chief Of engineers Of
the army, who gained fame at Malvern
hill, and General Lloyd Wheaton. who
led his troops part Of the Eighth T.
linOis-into the enemy's works against
a strong fire If artillery and infantry
Two Indian scouts, Nanasaddie and
Vantage. have received medals OF hon
or for gallant attack in engagements
with Apacbes in the early 'T0s. and one
woman wears a medal Of honor She
is Or. Mary r. Walker. who was A
nurse during the eiviI war. and the
honor was conferred upon her 'for ser
vices during the war"