Frank Brownell's Medal of Honor
date: label: date made
content: ca. 1863
name: label: recipient
content: Brownell, Frank E.
label: referenced
content: Ellsworth, Elmer E.
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Brass-colored metal on ribbon.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Frank E. Brownell, private, Company A, 11th New York Infantry. On May 24, 1861, Brownell killed James W. Jackson, who killed Brownell's commanding officer, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. Ellsworth was the first Union officer killed in the Civil War. He was shot by Jackson as he lowered a Confederate flag flying from the Marshall House Inn in Alexandria, Virginia. Seconds later, Brownell shot and bayoneted Jackson. Brownell received two Medals of Honor; the first one issued to him was inscribed on the reverse: "The Congress to Sergeant Frank E. Brownell Co. 4 11th New York Volunteers." Brownell was not pleased with the inscription and sent the medal back. He was given a new medal with an inscription he had written himself: "The Congress to Sergt. Frank E. Brownell, 11th N.Y. Vol Inf'y for gallantry in shooting the murderer of Col. Ellsworth at Alexandria, VA, May 24, 1861."
place: label: associated place
content: United States: Virginia, Alexandria
topic: label: Subject
content: Medal of Honor
label: Subject
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Civil War and Reconstruction
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
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content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.6955
label: accession number
content: 30411
label: catalog number
content: 6955
objectType: label: Object Name
content: medal of honor
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: bronze (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: silk (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 1/2 in x 2 1/4 in x 1/2 in; 11.43 cm x 5.715 cm x 1.27 cm