Shortly afterward, a resolution of similar wording was introduced on behalf of the Army and was signed into law on July 12, 1862. The medal was 'to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seamanlike qualities during the present war.' Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new decoration. Senate Bill 82, containing a provision for a 'Medal of Honor', was signed into law (12Stat329) by US President Abraham Lincoln on December 21, 1861. Scott did not approve the proposal, but the medal did come into use in the Navy. Grimes to Winfield Scott, the Commanding General of the United States Army. Early in the Civil War, a medal for individual valor was proposed by Iowa Senator James W.
