Page 26 - 21st Century Defense 100th Anniversary WW1

CIVIL WAR ERA, THE FIRST AWARDS
I n February of 1861, Colonel Bernard John Dowling

Irwin, United States Army, had no idea he would be
riding into history on a mule. The Colonel was serving
as an assistant Army surgeon in the first major Army versus
Apache Indian conflict. Born in Ireland in 1830, the Colonel
volunteered to go to the rescue of Second Lieutenant
George N. Bascom who was surrounded with 60
soldiers of the United States 7th Infantry by the
Chiricahua Apaches. Irwin and 14 soldiers
began the 100 mile trip on mules.
Encountering and capturing Apaches
along the way and retrieving stolen
horses and cattle, they reached
Lieutenant Bascom’s soldiers on
February 14. Although Colonel Irwin’s
heroism was recognized as the first Medal of Honor action,
the award was not created until 1861 and on January 21, 1894,
Brigadier General Irwin received the Nation’s highest honor. 1
On December 9, 1861 Senator James W. Grimes, R-IA
introduced a bill in the United States Senate designed “to

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