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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Army

William Porter

Sergeant William Porter, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 6, 1865 at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War April 6, 1865

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Sergeant William Porter received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 6, 1865 at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company H, 1st New Jersey Cavalry. Porter was about 23 years old.

59 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 3, 1865.

Porter was born in 1842 in New York, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.

Porter is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 93 credited to New Jersey.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Among the first to check the enemy's countercharge.

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

Timeline

  1. 1842
    Born in New York, New York
  2. April 6, 1865
    Act of valor — Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia
    Age about 23. Company H, 1st New Jersey Cavalry
  3. July 3, 1865
    Medal of Honor presented

Also honored for actions on April 6, 1865

JB John Francis Benjamin Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 OB Orrin Bennett Private · Army Civil War · 1865 HB Hugh Patterson Boon Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 Lewis Francis Brest Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AB Andrew Bringle Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 IC Ivers S. Calkin First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 JC John Chapman Private · Army Civil War · 1865 AC Albert Adams Clapp First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 TC Trustrim Connell Corporal · Army Civil War · 1865 FC Francis Marion Cunningham First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 Thomas Ward Custer Second Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1865 TD Thomas Davis Private · Army Civil War · 1865

See all 60 recipients for April 6, 1865 →

More Civil War recipients from New Jersey

CS Christian Streile Private · Army Civil War · 1865 WS William Joyce Sewell Colonel · Army Civil War · 1863 AO Albert Oss Private · Army Civil War · 1863 DW Daniel Whitfield Quartermaster · Navy Civil War · 1864 Thomas Timothy Fallon Private · Army Civil War · 1864 WM William Magee Drummer · Army Civil War · 1864
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.