The Gillmore Medal is a military decoration of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

which was first issued on October 28, 1863. The medal is named after

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Quincy A. Gillmore Quincy Adams Gillmore (February 28, 1825 – April 7, 1888) was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his mod ...

who commanded Union troops attempting to seize

Fort Wagner Fort Wagner or Battery Wagner was a beachhead fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. It was the site of two American Civil War battles in the campaign known as Operations Agai ...

in 1863 during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Also called the Fort Sumter Medal, the Gillmore Medal commemorates the men who served in the fighting around

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, in 1863 and was presented to all Union soldiers who had served under General Gillmore’s command. The medal was pinned to the front of a military jacket from a swivel with no attached ribbon. Since the Gillmore Medal was issued on the local authority of General Gillmore, it was considered an unofficial decoration by the United States Army, but was permitted for wear on a military uniform. In 1905, with the creation of the

Civil War Campaign Medal The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States Armed Forces. The decoration was awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. ...

, the Gillmore Medal was declared obsolete. One such medal was awarded to Albert York (commanding Co. I, 100th New York Volunteer Infantry) for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct for his participation in the Battle of Morris Island in April 1863. These medals are extremely rare because they are usually coveted by the living heirs and rarely come up for sale.

Notes

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Gillmore Medal in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database
Awards and decorations of the United States Army Awards established in 1863 1863 establishments in the United States

See also

Notes