- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Location
- Central Massachusetts
The 27th Maine, a 9-month regiment about to be discharged about the time of Gettysburg. The War Department foolishly promised them a "medal of honor" if they remained in service until the emergency ended. About one-third of the regiment did, 550 went home. Those who remained were held only a few days before they, too were discharged. In 1865, when the promise was remembered, it was found that nobody could come up with an official list of the names of those who had served beyond their time. So, Secty Stanton said, "Well, give it to all 864 of them!" Col. Mark F. Wentworth objected: he made up his own list of 299 men he knew had remained, and refused to distribute medals to the rest. 50 years later, they were all rescinded (some had already been refused, or returned by men who knew they didn't deserve them).
John J. Pullen (author of the ground-breaking The 20th Maine) published an account of the whole affair in 1997: A Shower of Stars: The Medal of Honor and the 27th Maine.
An excerpt from one of the Amazon reviews:
John J. Pullen (author of the ground-breaking The 20th Maine) published an account of the whole affair in 1997: A Shower of Stars: The Medal of Honor and the 27th Maine.
An excerpt from one of the Amazon reviews:
This book originated from information encountered by the author in his research for his superb history of the Civil War's 20th Maine Infantry. It is written in the same clear and easy-to-follow manner. Though the story of the 27th Maine's non-eventful, 9-months' service in the defenses about Washington is quite adequately related, the real focus of this work is the mass award of the Medal of Honor to all members of the regiment, what happened to the medals issued, and how the award of these medals led to, in the 1890's and 1900's to evaluation of standards for issuance of the medal. The "politics" of this evaluation - involving such notables as President Theodore Roosevelt, Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Gen. Clement Ainsworth and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge - are admirably explored. The detective work of author Pullen in researching and tracing the distribution or justifiable non-distribution of the medal to members of the regiment by its commander, Col. Mark F. Wentworth is outstanding. The colonel's restraint in distributing the medal (and of those who did get them) had much to do with the Medal's not falling into disrepute during its first 50 years. ...As a history of an unexceptional Civil War regiment and even more-so as a history of the Medal of Honor this book is simply superb. I could not recommend it more highly to anyone interested in either the Civil War or the Medal of Honor. [review by Gene C. Armistead]
“Before his death, Wentworth made secret arrangements to dispose of the remaining Medals in his possession. To this day the Medals, believed to number in the hundreds, remain unaccounted, despite the treasure hunting expeditions.”
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