Intended for award to any Union officer who had performed acts of extreme bravery and heroism in the face of the enemy, it was first bestowed on November 29, 1862.
In 1863, the medal was authorized retroactively to officers who had performed such acts while enlisted soldiers, and had been subsequently commissioned.
The new medal, known as the Kearny Cross, was awarded to any Union soldier who had displayed meritorious, heroic, or distinguished acts in the face of an enemy force.
While serving under the 114th Pennsylvania Volunteers, also known as the Collis' Zouaves d'Afrique, she received the award for being wounded in the ankle.
Charlotte Elizabeth McKay received the Kearney Cross from the officers of the 17th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, whom she had cared for after the Battle of Chancellorsville.