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He further wrote that the issuing of the award must be grounded in "incontestible proofs" as to the valor of the man receiving it, ''"accompanied with certificates from the Commanding officers of the regiment and brigade"''.  Only three men received what was then known as the "Badge of Military Merit" before it fell into disuse for nearly 150 years; resurrected by General [[Douglas MacArthur]] in 1932, it became - with slight changes - the [[Purple Heart]].

He further wrote that the issuing of the award must be grounded in "incontestible proofs" as to the valor of the man receiving it, ''"accompanied with certificates from the Commanding officers of the regiment and brigade"''.  Only three men received what was then known as the "Badge of Military Merit" before it fell into disuse for nearly 150 years; resurrected by General [[Douglas MacArthur]] in 1932, it became - with slight changes - the [[Purple Heart]].

   

   

A need for military decorations was presented at least once early in the [[American Civil War]]; Lt. Colonel Edward Davis Townsend, an assistant to Army Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas, recommended the creation of a "medal for valor", but the idea was quashed by then-Army head Lt. General [[Winfield Scott]], who felt that decorations were too close to European royalty.  However, the valor demonstrated on the battlefields of the Civil War demonstrated that such valor and heroism could not go unrecognized; moreover, Navy Secretary [[Gideon Welles]] liked Townsend's idea, which he placed in a series of recommendations to President [[Abraham Lincoln]].  On December 9, 1861 Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced ''S. No. 82'', a bill intended to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by the authorization, production, and distribution of what was termed "medals of honor". On December 21, the bill was passed, authorizing 200 such medals be produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war." President Lincoln signed the bill and the Medal of Honor was born, authorized for [[United States Navy|Sailors]] and [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]].<ref name=cmohs>[http://www.cmohs.org/medal-history.php History of the Medal of Honor], CMOHS.org.</ref>

A need for military decorations was presented at least once early in the [[American Civil War]]; Lt. Colonel Edward Davis Townsend, an assistant to Army Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas, recommended the creation of a "medal for valor", but the idea was quashed by then-Army head Lt. General [[Winfield Scott]], who felt that decorations were too close to European royalty.  However, indivdual acts of soldiers on the battlefields of the Civil War demonstrated that such valor and heroism could not go unrecognized; moreover, Navy Secretary [[Gideon Welles]] liked Townsend's idea, which he placed in a series of recommendations to President [[Abraham Lincoln]].  On December 9, 1861 Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced ''S. No. 82'', a bill intended to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by the authorization, production, and distribution of what was termed "medals of honor". On December 21, the bill was passed, authorizing 200 such medals be produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war." President Lincoln signed the bill and the Medal of Honor was born, authorized for [[United States Navy|Sailors]] and [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]].<ref name=cmohs>[http://www.cmohs.org/medal-history.php History of the Medal of Honor], CMOHS.org.</ref>

Less than two months later on February 17, 1862 [[Massachusetts]] Senator Henry Wilson introduced a similar bill to authorize ''"the President to distribute medals to privates in the [[United States Army|Army]] of the United States who shall distinguish themselves in battle."'' Over the following months wording changed slightly as the bill made its way through Congress. When [[President Abraham Lincoln]] signed S.J.R. No 82 into law as 12 Stat. 623-624 on July 14, 1862, the Army had its own Medal of Honor:

Less than two months later on February 17, 1862 [[Massachusetts]] Senator Henry Wilson introduced a similar bill to authorize ''"the President to distribute medals to privates in the [[United States Army|Army]] of the United States who shall distinguish themselves in battle."'' Over the following months wording changed slightly as the bill made its way through Congress. When [[President Abraham Lincoln]] signed S.J.R. No 82 into law as 12 Stat. 623-624 on July 14, 1862, the Army had its own Medal of Honor: