Confederate Medal of Honor (Sons of Confederate Veterans)
| Confederate Medal of Honor | |
|---|---|
| Date | 1862 |
| Presented by | Sons of Confederate Veterans |
The Confederate Medal of Honor is an award established by the Confederate Congress on October 13, 1862. During the war, 48 Confederates – 47 men and one woman – were honored with the award by the CSA. However, due to metal shortages, medals were not minted for more than 110 years, beginning in 1977 "to honor those members of the Confederate service who demonstrated outstanding bravery above and beyond that which would normally be expected of a Confederate soldier."[1]
Background
The Confederate Medal of Honor was first authorized on October 13, 1862, by the 1st Confederate States Congress (which eventually led to the establishment of a "Roll of Honor" for soldiers and sailors who had performed above and beyond the call of duty.) However, due to metal shortages and the subsequent destruction of the Confederacy in 1865, the physical award of an actual medal was never realized.[2]
The Roll of Honor established in 1862 also listed 2,104 soldiers for acts of valor comparable to the British Army's "Mentioned in Dispatches". Unlike a medal of honor, the Confederacy never minted a medal to accompany it. However, after the success of the medal of honor program, the SCV minted a medal for the 2,104 honorees also on this list. This second-tier medal is the Confederate Roll of Honor.[2][3]
Beginning in 1977, the SCV began minting a medal to honor Confederate soldiers. The first 48 awards were made based on the original roll of honor compiled during the American Civil War, but have since added more honorees. Little more than 50 Confederate medals of honor have been awarded. [3]
Notable recipients
Notable recipients of the medal, selected by the Confederacy from 1862-1865, include :[3]
- Maj. Gen. Camille de Polignac
- Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne (KIA)
- Brig. Gen. Wade Hampton III (Later promoted to Lt.Gen. of the Cavalry Corps Army of Northern Virginia)
- Brig. Gen. W. Dorsey Pender (KIA) West Point Class of 1854
- Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett (KIA) West Point Class of 1841
- Brig. Gen. Thomas Green (KIA) As a major, commanded the artillery at the Battle of San Jacinto under General Sam Houston.
- Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest (Later promoted to Lt.Gen. of the Cavalry Corps Army of Tennessee)
- Col. Henry K. Burgwyn (KIA) VMI Class of 1861
- Capt. Isaac Newton Brown, CSN of the CSS Arkansas
- Lieut. (acting Capt.) Charles William Read, CSN for a raid with 21 sailors that destroyed or captured 21 U.S. ships.
- Maj. John Pelham (KIA) West Point Class of 1861 (Posthumously promoted to Lt.Col. as J.E.B. Stuart's artillery chief)
- Maj. Henry Wirz[3]
- Capt. John Singleton Mosby (Later promoted to Col. of the 43rd Virginia Cavalry)
- First Lieut. Richard W. Dowling (Later promoted to Maj. of the 1st Texas Artillery) for the Second Battle of Sabine Pass
- Robert Wyche Davis (Later a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida for 8 years)
- David Owen Dodd
- The entire 8-man crew of the CSS H.L. Hunley (KIA)
- Nurse Juliet Opie Hopkins (WIA in 1862)
Other CSA honors
| Medal | Awards | Authorized | Presented | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confederate Roll of Honor | 2,104 | CSA | CSA | 1862 |
| Davis Guard Medal | 50 | CSA | Texas | 1864 |
| New Market Cross of Honor | 294 | Virginia | VMI | 1904 |
| Southern Cross of Honor | 78,761 | UDC | UDC | 1899 |
See also
References
- ↑ Sons of Confederate Veterans Awards and Insignia Guide 2013: National Awards and Officer Insignia (PDF). Sons of Confederate Veterans. General Executive Council. 2012. p. 6. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
- 1 2 "Sons of Confederate Veterans". Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "Confederate Medal of Honor Winners" (PDF). Thedonovan.com. Retrieved June 23, 2017.