The Confederate Medal of Honor bestowed to Colonel William Bradford Sims, commander of the Texas 9th Cavalry by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, was presented to the Historic Upshur Museum to be on permanent display.

During a ceremony Wednesday at the museum, H.M. “Butch” Ragland accepted the medal and its display from Sims’s great-great-grandson, Mac Meredith, adjutant of the Gen. Walter P. Lane SCV Camp of Longview.

Sims received the medal for his heroic action at the Battle of Pea Ridge, March 7, 1862, but the Confederacy did not have enough metal on hand to produce the medals their soldiers had earned. In more recent years, the Sons of Confederate Veterans have begun issuing those decorations which had been authorized by the CSA, but were never struck. The Medal of Honor was one such award and was presented to Meredith in 2008 at the national meeting of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

After the war, Col. Sims lived in Jefferson where he and his wife raise three sons and two daughters. Both daughters married Gilmer men, with Corine Leland marrying H.P. McGaughy, and Anna Leland marrying John Barnwell.

Meredith descends from the McGaughy daughter, Lois McGaughy Meredith.

Also speaking at the presentation was Dr. Tom Clinkscale of Canton, the Northeast Texas Brigade Commander.

Following the presentation the assembled S.C.V. members present explained their uniforms while enjoying refresments prepared by museum members.