Grundy Archive

Congressional Medal of Honor

Item

Dublin Core

Identifier

GA.BH.23.1.1

Description

Michael Dougherty petitioned for recognition of his acts of bravery during the Civil War, with the support and testimony of his superior, Colonel M. Kerwin. As a result, on January 23, 1897, he received a letter confirming that sufficient evidence had been submitted to grant him the Medal of Honor. The letter stated that the medal was being sent to him that same day "by direction of the president and in accordance with the act of Congress approved March 3, 1863..."

The medal presented in this collection combines two versions: the ribbon is from the 1897 issue, and the metal medallion is from a 1927 reissue. The 1897 medal is identifiable by its ribbon, which features vertical red, white, and blue stripes—a traditional design for this period. The 1927 version of the medal includes a slightly altered medallion, with more intricate detailing in the bronze eagle at the top and laurel leaves surrounding the star. The 1927 design also incorporates the word "Valor," highlighting the act of bravery for which the medal was awarded.

This collection includes a certificate verifying the receipt of the 1927 medal.

Creator

U.S. War Department

Publisher

The Grundy Archive

Date

1897-01-23
1927-11-14

Contributor

Colonel M. Kerwin

Rights

Digitized versions of archival materials made available by The Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library are intended for study, research, and scholarly purposes only with proper citation of the material. For inquiries regarding use permissions, please contact the Archivist directly at archive@grundylibrary.org.

Due to the nature of some legacy collections, we do not know the exact origin of copyright and/or intellectual property rights for some of our materials, and their publication is free and clear of infringement claims sought by copyright owners. To make our information more accurate, we are eager to hear from any rights owners who might know of certain collection items’ origins.

Relation

1927 certificate for a Medal of Honor.

Format

Medal with 1897 ribbon and 1927 medal, metal and fabric, 4.5 x 1.5 inches

Tags

Citation

U.S. War Department, “Congressional Medal of Honor,” Grundy Archive, accessed November 2, 2024, https://grundyarchive.org/items/show/4343.