The Kearny Cross was a

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...

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 established in 1862 during the opening year of 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 ...

. The original decoration was known as the ''Kearny Medal'' and was adopted as an unofficial medal by the officers of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps, of the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

, which had served under

Major General 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 ...

Philip Kearny. The original Kearny Medal was first bestowed on November 29, 1862, and was awarded to any Union officer who had performed acts of extreme bravery and heroism in the face of the enemy. It was created by

Black, Starr & Frost Black, Starr & Frost, previously known as Marquand and Co, is an American jewelry company. Founded in 1810 as Marquand and Co., the company is the oldest continuously operating jewelry firm in the United States. The company has acted as a retai ...

in 1863. In 1863, the medal was authorized retroactively to officers who had performed such acts while enlisted soldiers, and had been subsequently commissioned. On March 13, 1863, a second version of the Kearny Medal was ordered established as a "Cross of Valor" for enlisted personnel. The new medal, known as the ''Kearny Cross'', was awarded to any Union soldier who had displayed meritorious, heroic, of distinguished acts while in the face of an enemy force. By 1865, both the Kearny Medal and the Kearny Cross were commonly referred to by the single name of the Kearny Cross. Since the decorations were issued by local commanders, the medals remained unofficial awards and were not issued after the close of the Civil War. Nevertheless, the Kearny Cross and Medal are regarded as one of the oldest military decorations of the United States Army, second only to the Badge of Military Merit and the

Fidelity Medallion The Fidelity Medallion is the oldest decoration of the United States military and was created by act of the Continental Congress in 1780. Also known as the "André Capture Medal", the Fidelity Medallion was awarded to those soldiers who parti ...

Women awarded the cross

General Birney awarded Mrs.

Anna Etheridge Lorinda Anna "Annie" Blair Etheridge (May 3, 1839 – January 23, 1913 ) was a Union nurse and vivandière who served during the American Civil War. She was one of only two women to receive the Kearny Cross. She was inducted into the Michigan Wo ...

with this award; a nurse and vivandiere born either on May 3, 1839, or May 3, 1844. Also known as "Gentle Annie", she received the award for her bravery. Marie Tepe, (1834-1901) also known as "French Mary", a famous vivandiere of the Civil War, was one of at least three women who served during the battle of Gettysburg, the other well documented example being a currently unidentifiable woman, whose body was found amongst the many Confederate dead after Pickett's Charge. 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. She was in 13 battles, and carried a .44 caliber pistol. Charlotte Elizabeth McKay received the Kearney Cross from the officers of the

17th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 17th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was particularly noted for its service during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. Organization The 17th Maine was organized at C ...

, whom she had cared for after the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

References

Bibliography

*{{cite book, last1=Brockett, first1=Linus Pierpont, last2=Vaughan, first2=Mary C., title=Woman's Work in the Civil War: A Record of Heroism, Patriotism and Patience, url=https://archive.org/details/womansworkinciv00vauggoog, pag
514
year=1867, publisher=Zeigler, McCurdy & Company Awards and decorations of the United States Army Awards established in 1862 1862 establishments in the United States

Women awarded the cross

See also

References

Bibliography