Daniel Butterfield's Medal of Honor
Daniel Butterfield's Medal of Honor
Usage conditions apply
- Description
- Physical Description
- Star-shaped brass medal suspended from red-and-white striped silk ribbon.
- Specific History
- 1896 Pattern Medal of Honor awarded to Daniel Butterfield, “for distinguished gallantry in action at Gaines Mills, Va. June 27, 1862”
- General History
- Perhaps best known as the composer of the bugle call "Taps," Daniel Butterfield began his Civil War service as a sergeant in the Washington, D.C., militia. Two weeks later he transferred to the 12th New York Militia as a colonel. He was commissioned brigadier and major general of the Volunteers and he commanded a division of the 5th Corps. He fought at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Butterfield was wounded at the Battle of Gaines' Mill, during the Peninsular Campaign; it was also at Gaines' Mill where he seized the flag of the 3rd Pennsylvania and rallied the troops, an act which eventually earned him a Medal of Honor. Butterfield later commanded successfully at Second Bull Run and Antietam, and also saw action at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. During those campaigns he served as chief of staff, Army of the Potomac.
- Butterfield is also credited with designing the system of corps badges, an idea which began with Major General Philip Kearney's order to his troops to sew a two-inch patch of red fabric to their hats in order to identify each other during the confusion of battle.
- Object Name
- medal
- Other Terms
- Medal; Army; Decoration; Medal of Honor
- associated date
- 1862 06 27
- associated person
- Butterfield, Daniel
- associated place
- United States: Virginia
- Physical Description
- silk (suspension ribbon material)
- brass (pendant material)
- Measurements
- overall: 4 in x 2 in x 1/2 in; 10.16 cm x 5.08 cm x 1.27 cm
- ID Number
- ZZ.RSN83587W00
- accession number
- 1979.0425
- catalog number
- 1979.0425.078
- Credit Line
- U.S. General Services Administration. National Archives and Records Service
- subject
- Medal of Honor
- Civil War
- Civil War and Reconstruction
- See more items in
- Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Military
- Military
- ThinkFinity
- Exhibition
- Price of Freedom
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
