58 AWARDED FOR VALOUR
for more than a decade; the last mention of his name in the VC files was a
draft of yet another rejection notice, dated 28 February 1869.^53
The persistence of Courtney and Thimbleby pales in comparison to the
audacity of Thomas Morely, a man who made a profession of being a self-
proclaimed hero. Morely, late a sergeant in the 17th Lancers, raised the art
of self-promotion (or perhaps self-delusion) to new heights. In July 1857
he made his first request, writing directly to Lord Panmure. This initial self-
recommendation was parried with an administrative passing of the buck:
‘I am directed by Lord Panmure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
and enclosures of the 17th ultimo and in reply to inform you that all
communications on the subject of your claim to the Victoria Cross should
be addressed to H. R. H. the General Commanding in Chief.’^54 Morely
then approached Horse Guards a number of times during the 1850s and
subsequent decades inquiring as to the possibility of a VC to back up his
claims of virtue. The tales of his exploits grew with each subsequent letter.^55
Not content to limit his claims to a single war or country, in 1899
he published a booklet detailing his exploits at Balaclava and elsewhere,
including his claim to have been instrumental in the Union victory in the
American Civil War. He took credit for saving the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry
from capture at the Battle of Bull Run (he did not specify first or second), but
as his horse was killed he was taken prisoner. He made no mention of how
he managed to escape, only stating that when he ‘returned to the regiment
I received a commission and back pay and allowances which amounted to
some hundreds of pounds.’^56 Given the pay scale for enlisted personnel in the
Union Army in 1861, he would have had to have been a prisoner for decades
to receive back pay amounting to ‘some hundreds of pounds.’ But, then,
Morely was not a man to allow facts to impede the course of his narrative:
I was second in command in Dismounted Camp in Pleasant Valley, Mary-
land to equip all cavalry without horsesI was then appointed Assistant
inspector of the Cavalry, with Major Gordon, for the Department of
Western Virginia. I was in Libby Prison for twelve monthsOne of
the worst running fights I ever was in was when General Max Weber
sent me from Harper’s Ferry, Va. to Charlestown to capture fifteen of the
enemy’s cavalry. I was allowed to pick thirty horses and men. After we
had advanced about five miles we saw them and pursued; we found two
thousand men and two guns. Two squadrons charged us and we had a
fight with revolvers for four miles, till close to the forts I lost twenty-
one out of the 30 men. This was on the 29th June, 1864I am the
only officer that knew the plans General Grant used to capture Richmond
lily
(lily)
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