# Were medals of valor issued for Confederate troops? Any MOH winners? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412 "2015-04-24T03:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/41 "2015-04-24T23:36:51Z")
Did some research. This is from the Sons of Confederate Veterans web site. Not the best source, But I think their research on Confederate history is reasonably accurate. Wikipedia has similar results. Legislation was passed for medals but wasn’t implemented due to the war. A few medals were given after the war by various Veteran organizations and by The Sons of Confederate Veterans . But that’s not an official award by the Confederacy. [http://scscv.com/confederate-past-and-present/confederate-medal-of-honor-recipients/](http://scscv.com/confederate-past-and-present/confederate-medal-of-honor-recipients/) > [@](#): > > There were no Confederate Medals of Honor issued during the War Between the States despite the countless number of heroic deeds committed by numerous Confederate Soldiers. On August 23, 1862, William Porcher Miles of SC, a member of the Confederate Congress, intro- duced a bill authorizing medals for courage and good conduct on the field of battle. On October 10, 1862, the Confederate Congress passed the act authorizing medals and badges of distinction for courage and good conduct on the field of battle. It was passed into law later that same day when President Jefferson Davis signed the act. Due to the war, no medals were issued. There was, however, a Confederate Roll of Honor which recognized a small portion of these Confeder- ate Soldiers and their deeds. > **[Southern Cross of Honor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_of_Honor)** > > The Southern Cross of Honor was a commemorative medal established in 1899 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor Confederate veterans. > The Cross of Honor is in the form of a cross pattée suspended from a metal bar with space for engraving. It has no cloth ribbon. The obverse displays the Confederate battle flag placed on the center thereof surrounded by a wreath, with the inscription UNITED DAUGHTERS \[of the\] CONFEDERACY TO THE U. C. V. (the UCV is the United Confederate Veterans... > [@](#): > > The Southern Cross of Honor is not the same as a wartime medal that was approved by an act of the Congress of the Confederate States on October 13, 1862. Titled: “An Act to authorize the grant of medals and badges of distinction as a reward for courage and good conduct on the field of battle.” The text of the act read:[2] > > ``` > The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the President be and he is hereby authorized to bestow medals, with proper devices, upon such officers of the armies of the Confederate States as shall be conspicuous for courage and good conduct on the field of battle; and also to confer a badge of distinction upon one private or non-commissioned officer of each company after every signal victory it shall have assisted to achieve. The non-commissioned officers and privates of the company, who may be present on the first dress parade thereafter, may choose, by a majority of their votes, the soldier best entitled to receive such distinction, whose name shall be communicated to the President by commanding officers of the company, and if the award fall upon a deceased soldier, the badge thus awarded him shall be delivered to his widow, or if there be no widow, to any relation the President may adjudge entitled to receive it. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/42 "2015-04-24T23:37:09Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > How would they be traitors since they were never officially considered a foreign power? but only a part of the US in the state of rebellion. Or to put it another way, choosing to exercise their 2nd amendment right to express their objection to the federal government. Seems all perfectly legal and constitutional and following proper protocols and channels. [QUOTE=US Constitution; Article III, Section 3] Treason against the United States, shall consist only in **levying War against them** , or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted [/QUOTE] (bolding mine) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/43 "2015-04-24T23:53:03Z")
The treason act is more for groups or organizations. For example, an extremist militia group that declares “war” against the government. It would quickly be put down and people killed or arrested. Many charges would apply, and probably treason too. The Confederacy was formed by democratic state voting. Some states like Missouri choose to stay in the Union. Others like Virginia and Tennessee voted to leave. Eleven former US states voted to leave the Union. Former US legislators helped create the Congress of the Confederate States. A President was chosen. Many officers like General Lee resigned from the US military and joined the Confederate military. I’ve read nearly half of the students at West Point resigned just prior to the war. Given the broad scope its considered a Civil War. A major fracture of a country that resulted in an estimated 640,000 deaths. Not unlike the Civil War in 1930’s Spain and the nine year English Civil War, 1642–1651. Its true the victors of any war write the history. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/44 "2015-04-25T01:08:34Z")
[Deleted.] ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/45 "2015-04-25T01:51:02Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The treason act is more for groups or organizations. For example, an extremist militia group that declares “war” against the government. It would quickly be put down and people killed or arrested. Many charges would apply, and probably treason too. > > The Confederacy was formed by democratic state voting. Some states like Missouri choose to stay in the Union. Others like Virginia and Tennessee voted to leave. Eleven former US states voted to leave the Union. Former US legislators helped create the Congress of the Confederate States. A President was chosen. Many officers like General Lee resigned from the US military and joined the Confederate military. I’ve read nearly half of the students at West Point resigned just prior to the war. All irrelevant, of course. As states [cannot unilaterally secede from the United States](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_v._White), the fact the Confederate states voted to form a new country does not change the fact they waged war against the United States. Really, the rationalization here is just amazing. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/46 "2015-04-25T04:48:05Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Southern soldiers were given a general amnesty at the end of the war, provided they accepted the South’s capitulation and surrendered and disarmed. Revenge was not something the North wanted, just the opposite in fact. So to speculate: If the South had issued a lot of medals including a Confederate Medal of Honor would the Union have gone out of its way to strip soldiers of them? I \*\*seriously \*\*doubt it. > > First and foremost, you can’t really strip someone of something that you didn’t issue nor even recognize to begin with. And secondly, it would have been like rubbing salt in the wounds. There would have been huge repercussions and no benefit. When the Confederate submersible \*Hunley \*was finally recovered fifteen years ago the skeletal remains of the crew were still inside. They were buried with full ‘Confederate’ honors (including, according to Wiki,[the presence of modern color guards from all five branches of the US military).](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Hunley_%28submarine%29#Crew) Thanks, another fascinating story I might never have known about. Did you read the part about the gold coin? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/47 "2015-04-25T10:47:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The Confederacy was formed by democratic state voting. A state with slavery cannot be considered democratic. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/48 "2015-04-25T21:30:44Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > A state with slavery cannot be considered democratic. Look, try and remember you can’t view history thru modern (politically correct) eyes. What about before the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the vote? Or native Americans? Or that the vast majority of Americans only became aware of the electoral vote/popular vote concept in 2000, but its always existed, and originally the presidential electors were not just a rubber stamp vote. Was the US not a ‘democracy’ then?! And if it wasn’t, what was it? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/49 "2015-04-25T22:17:23Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Look, try and remember you can’t view history thru modern (politically correct) eyes. What about before the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the vote? Or native Americans? Or that the vast majority of Americans only became aware of the electoral vote/popular vote concept in 2000, but its always existed, and originally the presidential electors were not just a rubber stamp vote. > > Was the US not a ‘democracy’ then?! And if it wasn’t, what was it? It’s a sliding scale, obviously. I won’t argue with you there - no democracy has ever been perfect in the past, and none is perfect today. Still, if you have to draw a line between “democracy” and “not democracy”, then I think the existence of chattel slavery would be a very good place to put it. And besides, I find it hard to care about “states’ rights”, when rights were the last things these states cared about. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/50 "2015-04-25T22:30:24Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > A state with slavery cannot be considered democratic. > [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Look, try and remember you can’t view history thru modern (politically correct) eyes. What about before the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the vote? Or native Americans? Or that the vast majority of Americans only became aware of the electoral vote/popular vote concept in 2000, but its always existed, and originally the presidential electors were not just a rubber stamp vote. > > Was the US not a ‘democracy’ then?! And if it wasn’t, what was it? > [@Alessan](#): > > It’s a sliding scale, obviously. I won’t argue with you there - no democracy has ever been perfect in the past, and none is perfect today. Still, if you have to draw a line between “democracy” and “not democracy”, then I think the existence of chattel slavery would be a very good place to put it. > > And besides, I find it hard to care about “states’ rights”, when rights were the last things these states cared about. **Moderating** I think we are getting off on a tangent again. This doesn’t have a lot to do with whether Confederate soldiers were awarded medals. Let’s try to stick to the question in the OP. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/51 "2015-04-25T23:03:38Z")
The exact same numbers of Distinguished Service Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars (with V device), and Commendation Medals (with V Device) were issued to Union and Confederate Soldiers - Zero. They didn’t exist. There was a precursor to the Silver Star, a Silver Citation Start that was not a separate medal but a device worn on campaign ribbons. It was awarded if you were mentioned in official citations for gallantry.It wasn’t created till 1918 but was retroactive to the Civil War. 53+ years after the end of the war you’re looking at veterans tacking it on to the ribbon of a medal. Whether any Confederate veteran did just that based on a citation from his side… who knows. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/52 "2015-04-26T03:43:30Z")
Good point. I’d forgotten those medals are fairly modern inventions. The Civil War is pretty unique in deaths. It was a perfect storm of outdated formations vs. early modern weapons and primitive medicine. Doctors didn’t realize they needed to sterilize the saw they used for amputations. They used the same saw for one patient after another. A lot of men survived amputations and died days later from infections. That’s what happened to Stonewall Jackson. It took a lot of courage to charge into those modern weapons. The early infantry formations had guys bunched up shoulder to shoulder. One canister shot could take out a dozen guys. Imagine seeing that happen to your friends and the officers still insist you stay in formation. They deserved any medals that were available. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/53 "2015-04-26T09:24:08Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > This again. The word you’re assiduously avoiding is “slavery”. That’s the “right” those states wanted. It’s extremely well-documented. > > Secession was the reaction to the issue, not the issue itself. Slavery was the reason they wished to secede. The war was fought on the issue of whether they had such a right of secession or whether, as the North claimed, the Union was indissoluble. There’s nothing complicated about this. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/54 "2015-04-26T17:50:16Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Slavery was the reason they wished to secede. The war was fought on the issue of whether they had such a right of secession or whether, as the North claimed, the Union was indissoluble. There’s nothing complicated about this. Secession happened. Several states had left the Union. But the Civil War was fought because the CSA chose to fire on Ft Sumter, and the northern states violently objected to the attack. There was no popular outcry in the north to go to war over secession. The “right of secession” vs “indissoluble union” issue could have been handled by the courts. Not that the CSA government or courts recognized the USA’s demands. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412/55 "2015-04-30T17:39:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But there are some private organizations who have stepped in to fill what they see as this void. An organization called the United Daughters of the Confederacy began issuing the Southern Cross of Honor to Confederate veterans in 1898. And an organization called the Sons of Confederate Veterans began issuing the Confederate Medal of Honor in 1968 (posthumously of course). As noted, these are not “official” medals because they are issued by non-government organizations. I actually have a Southern Cross of Honor, it was my great-great (I think) grandfather’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-medals-of-valor-issued-for-confederate-troops-any-moh-winners/718412.md?page=2)