Twenty-one Union soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions at Cedar Creek.
The battle was the decisive engagement of Major General Philip Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864 and was the largest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley. Twelve Union Army enlisted men and nine officers were awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the battle. The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Twenty-one soldiers received the Medal of Honor for their actions at the battle of Cedar Creek. The United States created this medal in July 1862 for those who “distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities,” and has since served as one of the nation's top military honors. This is the only time members of a foreign country's military have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
Ten officers and eleven enlisted soldiers received the nation's highest military honors for heroic actions at the Battle of Cedar Creek. Among the recipients were eight soldiers from regiments in New York and five from units in Vermont. Among these honored Vermonters was Colonel Stephen Thomas—commander of the 2nd brigade, 1st division, of the XIX Corps. During the early morning stages of the battle, General Emory ordered Thomas's commander to move from its strongholds to a wooded ridge east of Pike Valley to slow the Confederate attack. In nearly thirty minutes, Thomas' brigade organized and allowed Emory to fortify his line in response to the Confederate attack. Thomas's command suffered catastrophic losses because of his efforts. For example, the 8th Vermont — one of the brigade's four regiments — lost 106 of its 159 participants. The Medal of Honor deserves to be one of the facts about the Battle of Cedar Creek.
