Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Seaman William Martin received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24, 1862 in Forts Jackson & St. Philip, Louisiana during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Varuna. Martin was about 23 years old.
18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Martin was born in 1839 in New York, New York. He is buried at Illinois. His medal is held by Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC.
Martin 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
Captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Varuna during an attack on Forts Jackson and St. Philip, 24 April 1862. His ship was taken under furious fire by the rebel Morgan and severely damaged by ramming. Steadfast at his station through the thickest of the fight, Martin inflicted damage on the enemy, remaining cool and courageous although the Varuna, so badly damaged that she was forced to beach, was finally sunk.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
- Born: Ireland — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- 1839Born in New York, New York
- April 24, 1862Act of valor — Forts Jackson & St. Philip, LouisianaAge about 23. U.S.S. Varuna
- Resting placeIllinois
Biography
William Martin (born c. 1839; date of death unknown) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Born in 1839 in Ireland, Martin immigrated to the United States and was living in New York when he joined the U.S. Navy. He served during the Civil War as a seaman on the USS Varuna. At the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip near New Orleans on April 24, 1862, Varuna was rammed twice by the Confederate steamer CSS Governor Moore (formerly known as the Charles Morgan) and eventually sunk.
From the Wikipedia article “William Martin (American sailor, USS Varuna)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
