the first medals of honor were presented because of actions during what civil war incident.

The first Medals of Honor were presented because of actions during the Civil War incident known as the Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid. This raid involved Union soldiers and a civilian who ventured behind Confederate lines to steal a train and disrupt Confederate supply railroads in Georgia on April 12, 1862. The first Medals of Honor were awarded on March 25, 1863, to six U.S. Army volunteers who participated in this daring mission, with Private Jacob Parrott being the first actual recipient for his gallantry during the raid.