Though the Confederacy did not have an official medal, in February 1865 Gen. Lee received a package from an unidentified woman in Texas containing nine gold stars with the request that they be awarded to the best soldiers in the Texas Brigade. Lee left it to the men of the brigade to vote on the nine members.
The men chosen were:
Pvt. William L. Durham (Co. D, First Texas)
Pvt. Josephus A. Knight (Co. H, First Texas)
Cpl. James Burke (Co. B, Fourth Texas)
Sgt. James Patterson (Co. D, Fourth Texas)
Cpl. W.C. May (Co. H, Fourth Texas)
Sgt. Cadmus Wilborn (Co. F, Fifth Texas)
Sgt. Jacob Hemphill (Co. H, Fifth Texas)
Pvt. John Daniel Staples (Co. E, Third Arkansas)
Pvt. Joseph W. "Joe" Cook (Co. H, Third Arkansas)
Medals were also awarded to the Davis Guards - the Texas artillery company consisting mainly of Irishmen from Houston, led by Maj. Richard W. Dowling - for their actions in the 2nd battle of Sabine Pass, fending off a Union flotilla. Commissioned by citizens of Houston, they were fashioned from silver Mexican pesos, with the name of the battle on one side and "DG" and a Maltese Cross on the other. One was also presented to the company's namesake, President Davis, but it was stolen off him by a Union soldier during his capture at war's end and, despite numerous efforts to find it, was never recovered.