Coxswain Asa Betham, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on December 24, 1864 at Fort Fisher & Wilmington, North Carolina during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Pontoosuc. Betham was about 26 years old.
8 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Betham was born in 1838 in New York, New York. His medal is held by American Numismatic Society, New York, NY.
Betham is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Served on board the U.S.S. Pontoosuc during the capture of Fort Fisher and Wilmington, 24 December 1864, to 22 January 1865. Carrying out his duties faithfully during this period, Betham was recommended for gallantry and skill and for his cool courage while under the fire of the enemy throughout these various actions.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
- Born: New York — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- 1838Born in New York, New York
- December 24, 1864Act of valor — Fort Fisher & Wilmington, North CarolinaAge about 26. U.S.S. Pontoosuc
Biography
Asa Betham (c. 1838 – unknown) was a sailor in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.
From the Wikipedia article “Asa Betham”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
