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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

First lieutenant · U.S. Army

William Sully Beebe

First lieutenant William Sully Beebe, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on April 23, 1864 at Cane River Crossing, Louisiana during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War April 23, 1864

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, First lieutenant William Sully Beebe received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 23, 1864 at Cane River Crossing, Louisiana during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Ordnance Department, U.S. Army. Beebe was 23 years old.

The medal was presented on June 30, 1897, 33 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Major.

Beebe was born on February 14, 1841 in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Beebe died on October 12, 1898 in Havanna, Cuba, at the age of 57. He is buried at U.S. Military Academy Cemetery in West Point, New York.

Beebe is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Voluntarily led a successful assault on a fortified position.

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

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: American Civil War.

Life beyond the battlefield

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Ithaca — map
  • Died: Havana — map
  • Buried: West Point Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

From the archives

Medal of Honor Recipient William S. Beebe died of yellow fever while on active duty in Havana, Cuba.

Timeline

  1. February 14, 1841
    Born in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York
  2. April 23, 1864
    Act of valor — Cane River Crossing, Louisiana
    Age 23. Ordnance Department, U.S. Army
  3. June 30, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. October 12, 1898
    Died in Havanna, Cuba
    Age 57.
  5. Resting place
    U.S. Military Academy Cemetery
    West Point, New York

Biography

William Sullivan "Sully" Beebe (February 14, 1841 – October 12, 1898) was a Union officer who received the Medal of Honor on June 30, 1897 for his action at Cane River Crossing, Louisiana on April 23, 1864. Born in Ithaca, New York, Beebe graduated from West Point in 1863, receiving his commission in the ordnance branch. He served in the Army until resigning in January 1874. Beebe rejoined the Army at the start of the Spanish–American War in June 1898, and served as chief ordnance officer, with the rank of major, on the staff of general James F. Wade. He contracted yellow fever while in Cuba and died later that year.

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

Same unit

Horace Porter Captain · Army Civil War · 1863

More Civil War recipients from Pennsylvania

JT John Tweedale Private · Army Civil War · 1863 CB Charles E. Brown Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1864 Alfred Jacob Sellers Major · Army Civil War · 1863 TR Thomas Robinson Private · Army Civil War · 1864 Galusha Pennypacker Colonel · Army Civil War · 1865 JL John Lafferty Fireman · Navy Civil War · 1864
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.