The Ely Medal 

OBVERSE	REVERSE
NO fully draped medal image was located besides the shown line art

The ONLY U.S. government authorized military medal during the Civil War was the Medal of Honor (authorized in July 1862). The United States had no official awards for bravery or heroism to issue to it’s military at the start of the American Civil War of 1861. Many general officers did however, design and create their own such decorations of which they gave to their junior officers or others under their command.

Description:

1. Commissioned by Colonel John Ely, 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment in December 1863.
2. Limited to 100 of the bravest men of the regiment who made a bayonet charge on Marye's Heights at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg on May 3, 1863.
3. It is worth noting that although the award was for the bayonet charge at Marye's Heights, the spelling on the medal shows "MAYRE HEIGHTS".

Background:

1. The Medal
   1. OBVERSE
      1. In the center a pair of shaking hands.
      2. Above, on two lines "MAYRE HEIGHTS - FREDERICKSBURG, VA.".
      3. Below, "MAY 3^RD 1863".
      4. Along the lower edge "23^RD REG: P. V.".
      5. On either side of the shaking hands appear a 5 pointed star near the edge.
   2. REVERSE
      1. in the center, a lady (likely representing Minerva) sits upon a stone holding a staff.
      2. Beside her, leaning against the rock, is a shield with a ribbon that reads "LIBERTY".
      3. Above, on two lines, "LIBERTY AND UNION - NOW AND FOREVER".
      4. Below, near the edge  "ONE AND INSEPARABLE."
   3. RIBBON
      A completely draped medal was not found except for the line drawing in the book, "History of the Twenty Third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Birney's Zouaves, Three Months and Three Years Service Civil War 1861 - 1865." therefore the color of the drape is unknown.
2. Excerpt about the bayonet charge taken from "The Union Army, Vol. 1"
   
   At daylight of the 3d, the regiment, under command of Colonel Ely, was detached from the brigade and ordered to make a feint towards the enemy's entrenched position, on Marye's Heights. The right wing, consisting of five companies, was deployed under Lieutenant Colonel Glenn - the left wing being held in reserve - and advanced to within ten yards of the stone wall, the enemy opening with musketry and artillery from the sides and summits of the hills along his whole line, and thus developing his position. The purpose of the maneuver having been attained, the command returned under cover, in good order, with a loss of sixteen men, and held the ground, with the aid of the batteries, until the final charge. The Sixty-first and Eighty-second Pennnsylvania, and Forty-third and Sixty-seventh New York, were formed in column of companies to charge over the bridge and up the hill, on the left of the town, while the Sixth Maine, Fifth Wisconsin and Thirty-first New York were to charge over the stone wall in front. At eleven o'clock, A.M., the movement commenced. The Twenty-third Regiment was not of the storming party, having already done its work; but seeing a regiment, whose term of service had expired, break at the moment of extreme peril, the men of the Twenty-third, without orders, giving one grand huzza, started upon the run for the opening in the broken line, and entered the works with the triumphant column. Its loss in this charge was six killed and twenty-seven wounded.and later...
   
   On the 6th of December Colonel Ely resigned, on account of wounds and sickness contracted in the line of duty, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel John F. Glenn, who was commissioned Colonel. Major William Wallace received the commission of Lieutenant Colonel, Captain Henry Rees that of Major. Brigadier General Alexander Shaler commanded the brigade. The friends of the regiment in Philadelphia gave a ball for its benefit, and with the proceeds, six hundred pairs of woolen gloves and a beautiful stand of colors, bearing the names of the battles in which the regiment had been engaged were procured. A short time previous ear-comforters for the men had been provided by patriotic ladies in Bucks county. As an incentive to heroism, Colonel Ely had distributed in September previous, one hundred silver medals for that number of enlisted men who were designated by their company officers as most deserving of merit in the bayonet charge at Marye's Heights, May 3d, 1863.
   
   
3. About the medal distribution, "one hundred medals were struck off for such enlisted men as were designated by the company officers as most deserving of merit for gallantry in the charge of Marye's Heights.  The distribution of these caused considerable dissatisfaction throughout the regiment." 
4. Information from
   History of the Twenty third Pennsylvania volunteer infantry ; Birney's Zouaves page 335
   Don Troiani's Soldiers in America, 1754-1865 Stackpole Books, 1998 p159
   The Union Army, Vol. 1
   WorthPoint Price Guide item 1863 Ely Medal 23rd Pa Birney's Zouaves Fredericksburg Civil War Only 100 Issued