Chapter XXV: Section 9: And be it further enacted, That the President (p. 369)

cause to be struck from the dies recently prepared at the
United States Mint for that purpose, "medals of honor"
additional to those authorized by the act (Resolution of July
twelfth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two), and present the same to
such officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates as have
most distinguished or who may hereafter most distinguish
themselves in action, and the sum of $20,000 is hereby
appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, to defray the expenses of the same.

Approved March 3d, 1863.

No. 73. (p. 370) PLATE LXXIII.

_February 16, 1862, July 4 and November 25, 1863._

Major General Ulysses S Grant. Joint resolution of Congress
December 17, 1863. [Rx]. Donelson. Vicksburg, etc.

MAJOR-GENERAL ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT.

[_Victories of Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga._]

MAJOR GENERAL ULYSSES S. (_Simpson_) GRANT. JOINT RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS DECEMBER 17. 1863. Bust of General Grant, in uniform, facing the left. In the upper part of a circle, branches of laurel and oak; in the lower part, sugarcane, the cotton plant, tobacco leaves and wheat, united by the national flag; in a second circle, thirteen stars, emblematical of the thirteen original States of the Union. ANTROBUS. D. (_delineavit._) PAQUET. F. (_fecit_).

America, personified as a maiden, is seated on a rainbow, with the eagle at her side. She holds in her left hand a cornucopia of flowers, and in her right a crown of laurel and the American shield, on which, in bend, is the word DONELSON. Below, dividing the medal into two parts, is a trophy of arms, surmounted by the cap of liberty, and protected by two sentinels kneeling; to the left is the city of Vicksburg, at the foot of which flows the Mississippi river, bearing two steamboats; VICKSBURG; to the right are Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge; the Federal army encamped on the banks of the Tennessee river; CHATTANOOGA. In a first circle the Mississippi river, on which are four steamers, two of which are gunboats; MISSISSIPPI RIVER; in a second, thirteen stars--emblematical of the thirteen original States of the Union.[117]

[Footnote 117: See INTRODUCTION, page viii.]

ANTROBUS, who designed the medal to General Grant, was living in (p. 371) Iowa in 1870.

ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT was born at Point Pleasant, Clermont County, Ohio, April 27, 1822. He was graduated at West Point as second lieutenant in the 4th infantry, July 1, 1843, and served under General Taylor at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterey, and in all General Scott's battles, from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico. He was breveted first lieutenant at Molinos del Rey, and captain at Chapultepec, for gallantry in the field. He resigned in 1854, and in the early part of 1860 removed to Galena, Illinois. In the Civil War he entered the service as colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteers, May, 1861. As brigadier-general of volunteers he fought the battle of Belmont, November 7, of the same year; captured Fort Donelson, February 16, 1862, for which he was appointed, on the same day, major-general of volunteers; and won the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 1862. He took Vicksburg, and was made major-general in the United States Army, July 4, 1863; won the battle of Chattanooga, November 25, same year, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general. He became commander-in-chief of the army, March 17, 1864; fought the battles of the Wilderness, in May, and besieged Richmond, 1864-1865. He received Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House, April 9, 1865. Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal for Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, December 17, 1863. In July, 1866, he was made general; acted as secretary of War _ad interim_ (12 August, 1867, February, 1868); President of the United States (first term), 1869-1873; (second term), 1873-1877.

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ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

_Resolutions of Congress Voting a Medal to General Grant._

_Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled_: That the thanks
of Congress be, and they hereby are, presented to Major-General
Ulysses S. Grant, and through him to the officers and soldiers
who have fought under his command during the rebellion, for their
gallantry and good conduct in the battles in which they have been
engaged; and that the President of the United States be (p. 372)
requested to cause a gold medal to be struck, with suitable
emblems, devices and inscriptions, to be presented to
Major-General Grant.

SECTION 2. _And be it further resolved_, That, when the said
medal shall have been struck, the President shall cause a copy of
this joint resolution to be engrossed on parchment, and shall
transmit the same, together with the said medal, to Major-General
Grant, to be presented to him in the name of the people of the
United States of America.