List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients
Since then 3,464 Medals of Honor have been presented. 1522 were for actions during the American Civil War. The first Medals of Honor were given to many of the participants of the Andrews' Raid. Some of the people from the raid received them after they died (posthumously). Andrews himself was a civilian and thus ineligible at the time. Mary Edwards Walker was a surgeon and became the only woman (and one of only eight civilians) who received a Medal of Honor. It was later taken away but after many years it was given back. Twenty-five were presented to African Americans. These included seven sailors of the Union Navy. Fifteen soldiers of the United States Colored Troops received it for their actions. Three soldiers of other Army units also received it. It was common for Civil War Medals of Honor to be granted decades after the conflict ended. In the case of Andrew Jackson Smith the Medal was not authorized until 2001. That is 137 years after the action in which he earned it. Smith's wait was caused by a missing battle report. It is the longest delay of the medal for any recipient.