William Farley (born 1835, date of death unknown) was a

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

sailor in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his actions during an 1863 engagement.

Biography

Born in 1835 in

Whitefield, Maine Whitefield is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,408 at the 2020 census. Whitefield is named for the celebrated British evangelist George Whitefield, who inspired the colonists before the town was settled in 177 ...

, Farley joined the Navy from Boston, Massachusetts in December 1860. He served during the Civil War as a boatswain's mate on the . While on the

Stono River The Stono River or Creek is a tidal channel in southeast South Carolina, located southwest of Charleston. The channel runs southwest to northeast between the mainland and Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island, from north Edisto River between Johns ...

on December 25, 1863, ''Marblehead'' came under fire from

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces at the Battle of Legareville on Johns Island. Farley "animated his men and kept up a rapid and effective fire on the enemy throughout the engagement". The Confederates eventually abandoned their position, leaving a caisson and gun behind. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later on April 16, 1864.

Medal of Honor citation

Farley's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. ''Marblehead'' off Legareville, Stono River, 25 December 1863, during an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Behaving in a gallant manner, Farley animated his men and kept up a rapid and effective fire on the enemy throughout the engagement which resulted in the enemy's abandonment of his positions, leaving a caisson and 1 gun behind.

References

External links

Boatswain's Mate William Farley, USN, (Born in 1835)America's Heroes: Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, William 1835 births Year of death unknown People from Lincoln County, Maine People of Maine in the American Civil War Union Navy sailors United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

External links