There are 24 Medals awarded for actions on this day - 17 of them from one event. We start off with the Civil War, and another one of those "mess o' medals" that characterize some Navy engagements. Remember, the Medal of Honor was our first formal award for heroism since the lapsing of the Purple Heart, an award instituted by General George Washington, and not originally associated with combat wounding, as it is now. During the era of the Civil through Spanish American Wars, the Medal...