[1] It was "to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seamanlike qualities during the present war".
While the Medal of Honor is now the highest military decoration attainable by a member of the United States armed forces, during the Civil War, it was the only one.
For example, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton promised a Medal of Honor to every man in the 27th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment who extended his enlistment.
Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon, became the only woman (and one of only eight civilians) awarded a Medal of Honor; it was later revoked, and then reinstated.
[4][5] This record was broken again on July 3, 2024, when President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to Union Army soldiers Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson, two of the Andrews Raiders of April 12, 1862.