The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by the nation's fighting men was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782. Designed to recognize "any singularly meritorious action," the award consisted of a purple cloth heart. Records show that only three persons received the award: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, Sergeant William Brown, and Sergeant Daniel Bissel Jr.

The Badge of Military Merit, as it was called, fell into oblivion until 1932, when General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff, pressed for its revival. Officially reinstituted on February 22, 1932, the now familiar Purple Heart was at first an Army award, given to those who had been wounded in World War I or who possessed a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate. In 1943, the order was amended to include personnel of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Coverage was eventually extended to include all services and "any civilian national" wounded while serving with the Armed Forces.

Although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War, the idea of a decoration for individual gallantry remained through the early 1800s. In 1847, after the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, a "certificate of merit" was established for any soldier who distinguished himself in action. No medal went with the honor. After the Mexican-American War, the award was discontinued, which meant there was no military award with which to recognize the nation's fighting men.

Early in the Civil War, a medal for individual valor was proposed to General-in-Chief of the Army Winfield Scott. But Scott felt medals smacked of European affectation and killed the idea.

The medal found support in the Navy, however, where it was felt recognition of courage in strife was needed. Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy medal of valor, was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on December 21, 1861. The medal was "to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seamanlike qualities during the present war."

Shortly after this, a resolution similar in wording was introduced on behalf of the Army. Signed into law July 12, 1862, the measure provided for awarding a medal of honor "to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldierlike qualities, during the present insurrection."

Although it was created for the Civil War, Congress made the Medal of Honor a permanent decoration in 1863.

Almost 3,400 men and one woman have received the award for heroic actions in the nation's battles since that time.

Medal of Honor Citations.

"I was fifteen years of age, and was bugler of Battery B, which suffered fearful losses in the field at Antietam where I won my Medal of Honor," writes Bugler John Cook.

"General Gibbon, our commander, had just ordered Lieutenant Stewart to take his section about one hundred yards to the right of the Hagerstown Pike, in front of two straw stacks, when he beckoned me to follow. No sooner had we unlimbered, when a column of Confederate infantry, emerging from the so called west woods, poured a volley into us, which brought fourteen or seventeen of my brave comrades to the ground. The two straw stacks offered some kind of shelter for our wounded, and it was a sickening sight to see those poor maimed, and crippled fellows, crowding on top of one another, while several, stepping but a few feet away, were hit again or killed.

Just then Captain Campbell unlimbered the other four guns to the left of Stewart, and I reported to him. He had just dismounted, when he was hit twice and his horse fell dead, with several bullets in its body. I started with the Captain to the rear and turned him over to one of the drivers. He ordered me to report to Lieutenant Stewart and tell him to take command of the battery. I reported, and, seeing the cannoneers nearly all down, and one, with a pouch full of ammunition, lying dead, I unstrapped the pouch, started for the battery and worked as a cannoneer. We were then in the vortex of the battle. The enemy had made three desperate attempts to capture us, the last time coming with in ten or fifteen feet of our guns. It was at this time that General Gibbon, seeing the condition of the battery, came to the gun that stood in the pike, and in full uniform of a brigadier-general, worked as a gunner and cannoneer. He was very conspicuous, and it is indeed surprising, that he came away alive. At this battle we lost forty-four men, killed and wounded, and about forty horses which shows what a hard fight it was."

Bugler John Cook, although but fourteen years of age when he enlisted, showed great courage and daring in every battle in which he participated. At Gettysburg, Captain Stewart was compelled to use the bugler as an orderly because the battery suffered such heavy losses. He carried messages to the left half battery, nearly a half mile away, the route being well covered by the enemy's riflemen, who lost no opportunity of firing at him, thus making it a most perilous undertaking. At the same battle he assisted in destroying the ammunition of a damaged and abandoned caisson, to prevent its being of use to the enemy, who were closing in on the Union men.

The 4^th U.S. Artillery was short of men and unable to get recruits for the regular service. Captain Gibbon obtained permission from the War Department to fill his battery by detaching men from volunteer regiments. One of the men selected from the many who responded to the call was Private William P. Hogarty of the 23^rd New York Volunteer Infantry.

Bright and early on the morning of September 17, 1862 General Gibbon gave orders to Lieutenant Stewart, commanding the center section, to go the front with the utmost speed, and take position to advance of the skirmish line, on an elevated piece of ground to the right of the Hagerstown road, in front of a cluster of wheat stacks, and facing the Dunker Church about a half mile distant.

The section came into action, the cannoneers mounted and the horses on a run. The men hardly had time to unlimber the guns, when the charging columns of "Stonewall" Jackson's Infantry were upon them, determined to capture the section and turn the right wing of the army. This furious onslaught was met by a rapid, accurate, and deadly fire from these two Napoleon guns of Stewart's section, triple shotted with canister, which stopped the charge, driving the enemy back with fearful loss. In this charge Stewart's section lost fourteen men out of twenty-four actually engaged at the guns. By this time the remaining four guns had deployed alongside Stewart's section with the flank resting on the Hagerstown Pike. The Battery had little opportunity to remove it's wounded to a barn in the rear of the wheat stacks and to replenish it's ammunition, when the re-enforced columns of Jackson's Corps again came on a hill to the right, and a New York brigade, through the cornfield on the left.

During the fifteen or twenty minutes that the battle raged around Battery B, it seemed that all the missiles of destruction were flying through the sulfur-laden atmosphere screeching, hissing, howling their discordant song of death. With a few remaining men and horses the battery was moved into the cornfield on the left of the Hagerstown Pike, and again unlimbered for action in the rear of a firing line of infantry, which acted as a screen and prevented it from again becoming engaged.

While there awaiting orders, Lance Corporal Hogarty picked up a loaded, Springfield rifle that was capped at the side of a dead soldier. Turning to his comrades he said, "The supply of ammunition is out. I think I will take this rifle up to firing line and help the 'doe-boys'."

After Antietam the battery, it's ranks depleted, marched with the advance of the army through Northern Virginia to Fredericksburg in pursuit of the retreating enemy. On the evening of December 12, 1862, Battery B, with the advance of the First Corps, crossed the Rappahannock River at the lower pontoon bridge.

The next morning, the 13^th, the battery engaged the enemy on the extreme left of the army, driving them from their entrenchment's. It then swung up to the Bowling Green Road, and immediately became engaged with a couple of the enemy's batteries posted in their front in a commanding position. The rebels having previously measured the ground closely, marked the distances and opened fire with a deadly accuracy, but Battery B soon silenced them, dismounting the range for his guns, Lance Corporal Hogarty was wounded by a four inch solid shot striking him just above the elbow, tearing off his left arm, necessitating subsequent amputation at the shoulder. The force of the blow whirled him around. He fell, landing on his right arm and elbow. He was not rendered unconscious. Three of his comrades seeing him fall came to his assistance, and with a tourniquet applied to his arm refused to leave the battery until the action was decided. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Valor.

John Johnson, detached from Company D, 2^nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, won his medal for valor displayed at two engagements. While serving as a cannoneer at Antietam, Maryland on September 17, 1862 he assisted Brigadier General John Gibbon and two others in firing a cannon about to be over run by the enemy. The double canister at point blank range was critical at turning back the charge and saving the battery. At Fredericksburg, Virginia on December 12, 1862 he again demonstrated his courage. While bringing case shot to his gun a piece of shrapnel severed his right arm, carrying away much of his shoulder. He continued to load him gun until loss of blood caused him to faint.