CDV, General John G. Parke

Served in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Knoxville, Grant's 1864 Overland campaign, Petersburg and Appomattox

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1827-1900) Born in Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania, he graduated #2 in the West Point class of 1849. He was appointed brigadier general on November 23, 1861, and commanded a...  

CDV, General Godfrey Weitzel

Acting Mayor of the captured city of New Orleans, Louisiana in 1862

He commanded the 25th Corps, Army of the Potomac, in 1864, which was composed entirely of negro troops.

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1835-84) Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he graduated #2 in the West Point class of 1855. Commissioned into the elite Engineer Corps his first...  

CDV, General Edward O.C. Ord

Severely wounded twice during the Civil War, first at Corinth, Mississippi, in 1862, and secondly in the attack on Fort Harrison, Virginia in 1864

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1818-1883) Born in Cumberland, Maryland, he graduated in the West Point class of 1839. His first field service was against the Florida Seminoles. During the Mexican War he...  

CDV, General Erasmus D. Keyes

Commander of the 4th Corps, Army of the Potomac during the Civil War

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1810-1895) Born in Brimfield, Mass., he was the son of a well known doctor and graduated in the West Point class of 1832, and later served very creditably as an instructor at the U.S. Military Academy. He was a favorite of General Winfield Scott...  

CDV, General James B. Ricketts

Wounded 4 times as an artillery commander at the 1st Battle of Bull Run.

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1817-87) Born in New York City, he graduated in the West Point class of 1839. Fought in the Mexican War in the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista. At the 1st Battle of Bull Run, on July 21, 1861, he commanded a battery attached to General...  

CDV, General William H. French

Commanded the 3rd Coprs, Army of the Potomac during the Civil War

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1815-81) Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he graduated in the West Point class of 1837 which included fellow Union Civil War generals John Sedwick, and Joseph Hooker, and Confederate generals Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early and John Pemberton. he fought in the...  

CDV, General Christopher C. Augur

Severely wounded at the battle of Cedar Mountain, Va.

He was at the deathbed of President Abraham Lincoln when he was assassinated in 1865!

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861


(1821-1885) Born in Kendall, New York, he graduated in the West Point class of 1843 which furnished ten generals to the North, among them General Ulysses S. Grant, and...  

CDV, General John A. Dix

Famous for his 1861 American flag dispatch, "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot!" This became a very famous clarion call in the Northern states during the American Civil War!

New York Secretary of State

United States Senator from New York

Governor of New York

(1798-1879) Joined the United States Army in 1813. He was the New York Secretary of State, 1833-39, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1845. In January 1861, President James Buchanan appointed him Secretary of the...  

CDV, General Samuel R. Curtis

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1805-66) His father was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He graduated in the West Point class of 1831. Upon the outbreak of the Mexican War, he was appointed adjutant general of Ohio but soon accepted the colonelcy of the 2nd Ohio Volunteers which he led with distinction in General Zachary Taylor's army. In 1856, he was...  

CDV, General Daniel E. Sickles

Murdered Philip Barton Key II across the street from the White House!

Severely wounded at Gettysburg resulting in the amputation of his leg

Medal of Honor Recipient for heroism at the Battle of Gettysburg

United States Congressman & New York State Senator

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1819-1914) Born in New York City, he was a...  

CDV, General David B. Birney The gallant General Birney died from malaria in 1864

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1825-1864) Son of the antislavery leader James G. Birney, he was born in Huntsville, Alabama. He moved with his family to Cincinnati, Ohio when he was 13 years old. He graduated from Andover, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He then moved to Philadelphia where...  

CDV, General William W. Averell

Colonel of the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry

From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861

(1832-1900) Born in Cameron, New York, he graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1855. His pre-war army career included garrison duty at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., a tour at the Cavalry School in Carlisle, Pa., and two years of rugged service fighting the western...