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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

William G. Stephens

Private William G. Stephens, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War May 22, 1863

Private William G. Stephens was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 22, 1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Chicago Mercantile Battery, Illinois Light Artillery. Stephens was 19 years old.

99 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on December 21, 1894, 31 years after the action.

Stephens was born on December 26, 1843 in New York, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Stephens died on March 21, 1904 in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 60. He is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

Stephens is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 210 credited to Illinois.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Carried with others by hand a cannon up to and fired it through an embrasure of the enemy's works.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Timeline

  1. December 26, 1843
    Born in New York, New York
  2. May 22, 1863
    Act of valor — Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Age 19. Chicago Mercantile Battery, Illinois Light Artillery
  3. December 21, 1894
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. March 21, 1904
    Died in Chicago, Illinois
    Age 60.
  5. Resting place
    Rose Hill Cemetery
    Chicago, Illinois

Also honored for actions on May 22, 1863

CA Christian Albert Private · Army Civil War · 1863 WA William J. Archinal Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 CA Clinton Lycurgus Armstrong Private · Army Civil War · 1863 DA David Ayers Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 JA John G. k Ayers Private · Army Civil War · 1863 WB William H. Barringer Private · Army Civil War · 1863 MB Matthew Bickford Corporal · Army Civil War · 1863 TB Thomas A. Blasdel Private · Army Civil War · 1863 EB Emmer Bowen Private · Army Civil War · 1863 UB Uriah H. Brown Private · Army Civil War · 1863 WB William P. Brownell Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1863 JB John C. Buckley Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863

See all 100 recipients for May 22, 1863 →

More Civil War recipients from Illinois

MN Marcellus J. Newman Private · Army Civil War · 1864 John Gregory Bourke Private · Army Civil War · 1862 JV James David Vernay Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 Hugh Molloy Ordinary Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 John S. Darrough Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 Wells Howard Blodgett First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1862
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.