The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel Zenas Randall Bliss, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 13 December 1862, while serving with 7th Rhode Island Infantry, in action at Fredericksburg, Virginia. Colonel Bliss, to encourage his regiment; which had never before been in action, and which had been ordered to lie down to protect itself from the enemy’s fire, arose to his feet, advanced in front of the line, and himself fired several shots at the enemy at short range, being fully exposed to their fire at the time.