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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Second Lieutenant · U.S. Army

William Gardner Tracy

Second Lieutenant William Gardner Tracy, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on May 2, 1863 in Chancellorsville, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War May 2, 1863

Second Lieutenant William Gardner Tracy was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 2, 1863 in Chancellorsville, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company I, 122d New York Infantry. Tracy was 21 years old.

11 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on May 2, 1895, 32 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Major.

Tracy was born on April 7, 1842 in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Albany, Albany County, New York. Tracy died on December 8, 1924 in Syracuse, New York, at the age of 82. He is buried at Oakwood Morningside Cemetery in Syracuse, New York.

Tracy 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

Having been sent outside the lines to obtain certain information of great importance and having succeeded in his mission, was surprised upon his return by a large force of the enemy, regaining the Union lines only after greatly imperiling his life.

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

Places

  • Buried: Oakwood Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. April 7, 1842
    Born in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York
  2. May 2, 1863
    Act of valor — Chancellorsville, Virginia
    Age 21. Company I, 122d New York Infantry
  3. May 2, 1895
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. December 8, 1924
    Died in Syracuse, New York
    Age 82.
  5. Resting place
    Oakwood Morningside Cemetery
    Syracuse, New York

Biography

William G. Tracy (April 7, 1842 – December 8, 1924) was an American soldier awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the American Civil War. The medal was awarded for actions as a Second Lieutenant at the Battle of Chancellorsville with the 122nd New York Infantry on 2 May, 1863. He was born in Syracuse, New York and died there in 1924.

From the Wikipedia article “William G. Tracy”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on May 2, 1863

RB Robert M. Boody Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 FB Felix Brannigan Private · Army Civil War · 1863 William Wallace Cranston Private · Army Civil War · 1863 Hubert Dilger Captain · Army Civil War · 1863 JG Joseph Gion Private · Army Civil War · 1863 HH Henry Heller Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 EJ Eugene Philip Jacobson Sergeant Major · Army Civil War · 1863 Nelson Appleton Miles Colonel · Army Civil War · 1863 ES Elisha B. Seaman Private · Army Civil War · 1863 TT Thomas W. Thompson Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1863 CT Clifford Thomson First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863

More Civil War recipients from New York

OS Oloff Smith Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 LA Lester Archer Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 ✦ MR Myron H. Ranney Private · Army Civil War · 1862 MC Michael Cassidy Landsman · Navy Civil War · 1864 Charles B. Woram Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 TF Thomas S. Flood Boy · Navy Civil War · 1862
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.