During Seacole’s disclosing of her work with the wounded soldiers of the Crimean War, she notices such a medal resting on the breast of a soldier and comments on honor associated with receiving The Victorian Cross, which was and still is “the premier British award for conspicuous bravery in the face of an enemy” (207). It was instituted in early 1856–after the Crimean war had ended–in order to potentially be awarded to soldiers of all classes and ranks. Before this medal was created, officers could be recognized for their bravery by the Order of the Bath, an award founded by George I in 1725, but no such award existed for soldiers of a lower ranking, until Queen Victoria created her own medal. A total of 1,356 Victoria Crosses have been awarded since its inception 150 years ago. In its early years, Crosses were handed out more frequently than they are now. The most recent Cross was handed out to Private Johnson Beharry in Iraq in 2004.

Seacole, Mary. “Chapter XII.” Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands, Penguin Books, 2005, pp. 207.

Johnson, Ben. “The History of the Victoria Cross.” Historic UK, https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Victoria-Cross/.