No Confederate soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor (MoH) as they were ineligible. The resolution basically creating the award stated it was "to provide for the presentation of medals of honor to the enlisted men of the army and volunteer forces who have distinguished or may distinguish themselves in battle during the present rebellion." Essentially, the Confederates were the enemy.

At the time, the MoH was also the ONLY award that existed for the US Army; many of the awards given out during the Civil War would not be eligible today.

The Confederates had their own equivalent award, called the Southern Cross of Honor. Only a very few were actually awarded; the majority that have been given out have been presented post-war by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.