All Roads...

[Dred]

All roads converge on the same place at one point or another... death... At the hands of your allies or at the hands of your enemies it comes to all of us. But at what point is a mere mortal able to get off the beaten path, and meet his fate on his own terms? Many men in the civil war earned the Congressional Meddle of Honor, but i have yet to see a post dedicated to them, and their stories on this site. (although the archives are pretty large I could have missed it!) I figured now is as good a time as any! I haven't researched any yet but I figured while I was maybe somebody else had some stories ready to tell. Also while we are on the topic.. Did the Confederacy have anything similar to award their fallen?

[ole]

Much too late to respond, Dred, but I understand there were no Confederate medals--recognition was in the form of official citations. There was some form of medallion affixed to the headstones on Confederate graves.

Seems we've gone through this before????

ole

[gary]

The Confederacy did have something, The Roll of Honor. The recepient's name was added onto said Roll and it was anticipated that some time later a medal could be awarded. However, with the course of the war, the Roll of Honor was never accompanied by a medal. There was an instance of a medal being issued to a Confederate for being the best shot in his brigade. However, medals of this nature were not standardized by the Confederacy and it could have been anything that some local jeweler made.

The Union did the same and some generals also issued medals on their own. I'm thinking General Terry did at Morris Island and there could have been one related to Burnsides too (North Carolina, perhaps?).

Post-war the Daughters of the Confederacy began issuing their Southern Cross of Honor. However, these post-war awards cannot be considered the equivalent as one given by a gubmint.

[Ozark Iron John]

My nephew has a replica of the Southern Cross of Honor. He wears it on his finest Dixie Grey uniform at re-enactments and parades and such. It represents the original medal that his father keeps in a safe deposit box. The original medal was presented to his Great Great Great Grand Mother in appreciation for her father's service. It has been handed down from generation to generation and I am sure that some day, it will be his. He's pretty proud of it.

[Freddy]

My great grandfather was reccomended for the CMOH by his colonel and I have a copy of the actual citation from the National Archives, but there was no disposition one way or the other about him being awarded it. His colonel even mentions the reccomendation in the regimental history. He never received it either.

[samgrant]

I do believe both sides had something called "Thanks of Congress".

I'd say, "Well, thanks alot, but no thanks to you, you *******"!