Our Civil War Commemorative Medal is actually the Army Civil War Campaign Medal. The Army Civil War Campaign Medal was awarded to members of the United States Army who served in the Civil War between 1861 and 1865. However, it was not authorized until 1905. Because of this only 9,500 of the more than two million Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War received their medal. Originally, the ribbon for the Army version of this medal had a narrow white stripe in the center, flanked by equal stripes of red, white and blue on either side. This ribbon was discontinued and changed to match the blue and gray ribbon of the Navy and Marine Corps version of this medal.

The Civil War Commemorative Medal includes a ribbon bar.