b. 1835 New York. d. 26/12/1878 Erie, Pennsylvania.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 24-25/04/1862 Fort Jackson & St Philip and New Orleans, Louisiana.
William Young MOH
Born in about 1835 in New York, Young joined the navy from that state. He served during the civil war as a boatswain’s mate on the USS Cayuga. In Louisiana on April 24–25, 1862, the ship led a Union fleet up the Mississippi River past two Confederate forts, Jackson and St. Philip, which guarded the approach to New Orleans. Young manned a Parrott gun throughout the battle despite heavy fire from Confederate ships and the two forts. Successfully passing the forts, the Union force went on to capture New Orleans. For his part in this action, Young was awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on April 3, 1863.
MOH CITATION:
On board the U.S.S. Cayuga during the capture of Forts St. Philip and Jackson and the taking of New Orleans, 24 and 25 April 1862. As his ship led the advance column toward the barrier and both forts opened fire simultaneously, striking the vessel from stem to stern, Young calmly manned a Parrot gun throughout the action in which attempts by three rebel steamers to butt and board were thwarted and the ships driven off or captured, 11 gunboats were successfully engaged, and garrisons forced to surrender. During the battle, the Cayuga sustained 46 hits.
BURIAL LOCATION: ERIE CEMETERY, ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.
16 SGL, ROW C, GRAVE 24.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
