This certificate awards Michael Dougherty the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Civil War. The action occurred on October 12, 1863, at Jefferson, VA, where Dougherty led a detachment that defended an unoccupied house against repeated enemy attacks. Originally awarded the Medal of Honor in 1897, Dougherty received a second medal and certificate in 1927. The ribbon from the 1897 Medal of Honor can be seen attached to the 1927 medallion. His superior, Colonel M. Kerwin, supported the petition for recognition, underscoring Dougherty's gallantry during the conflict.
A handwritten diary that documents Michael’s time spent as a prisoner of war in Pemberton, Barrett's, Belle Isle, Libby, and Andersonville prisons up to his release. Michael was captured on October 12th, 1863, sent to Andersonville in March 1862, and was released at the end of the Civil War in 1865. The presence of ink and pencil suggests revisions were made to entries, possibly before the diary was published in 1908 with the help of his son Chas. A. Dougherty.
A small diary filled with poems, some of which are signed by Michael Dougherty, notes, drafts of letters, and a small amount of record-keeping notes. The diary contains a poem about the death of Colonel Edward D. Baker at Ball's Bluff, which ends with the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th, 1861. It describes the early stages of the Civil War.
![20.3.8 Watson's Creek, Tren [in N.J.] } Sleet Storm.JPG](https://grundyarchive.org/files/thumbnails/d04539ba906992f6c01a5a69ddcb2961.jpg "20.3.8 Watson's Creek, Tren [in N.J.] } Sleet Storm.JPG")
![20.1.12 St. James Church [inside] (1945).jpg](https://grundyarchive.org/files/thumbnails/2aff963398650b9683d0b68efa3d9edd.jpg "20.1.12 St. James Church [inside] (1945).jpg")
