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Re: Medal of Honor
In Response To: Re: Medal of Honor ()

"Is there any way to know the circumstances in which Lt. Harris was involved that caused his men to vote to give him the medal of honor?"

Ah, there's the kicker... Unless he or someone else wrote it down there probably isn't. For example my 2nd great-grandfather was selected for his at Murfreesboro. All his service record states is that he was "wounded 300 yards in front of the line".

What "line" is meant I have to guess at. Considering what the 7th Mississippi did and where it was I tend to believe it was around the famed "Round Forrest". That little place is known as "Hell's Half Acre" or the "Mississippi Half Acre". Peter Cozzens's book, No Better Place To Die" describes the action there as the Mississippi Regiments exchanging gunfire with (Off memory here) entrenched troops from Illinois and Kentucky while they stood in an open field for thirty minutes. The carnage was terrible.

The SCV maintains the Confederate Roll of Honor now and they have awarded, to my knowledge, slightly more than fifty actual medals. They will only provide the medals with documented written record of what the soldier may have done and not all those who have won are members of the roll of honor. For instance, Nathan Bedford Forrest was presented one. But, the medals are to put on public display. In other words at a museum, courthouse or other such place. For instance, at the Sam Davis home his CMoH and the CMoH of DeWitt Jobe are on display. Two more awarded by the SCV.

If you are a descendent of the soldier and are a member of the SCV you are elgible to recieve a certificate attesting to the fact that your ancestor is carried on the Confederate Roll of Honor and that may displayed anywhere. Mine hangs in my living room. I need to take a better photo for the website.

By the way, if you contact the SCV about your certificate don't give up on them locating the paper work. They argued with me that they didn't do that but I argued back until they literally found the form and the certificate blanks in storage. Sometimes being hard headed pays off :-)

By the way, your ancestor may have also been a member of the immortal 600. There are rosters in books so if I was you I would continue to pursue that to a definate conclusion as well.

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