William Martin (born c. 1839, 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 at the

Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip The Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip (April 18–28, 1862) was the decisive battle for possession of New Orleans in the American Civil War. The two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River south of the city were attacked by a Union Navy ...

. Born in 1839 in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, 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 Seaman may refer to: * Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew * Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies * Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name) * ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...

on the . At the

near

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

on April 24, 1862, ''Varuna'' was rammed twice by the

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 ...

steamer (formerly known as the ''Charles Morgan'') and eventually sunk. Martin acted as a gun captain and was "cool and courageous" throughout the close-range fight. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on April 3, 1863. Martin's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Seaman William Martin, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action, serving as Captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Varuna during an attack on Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Louisiana, 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, Seaman 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.

Notes/references

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Naval History and Heritage Command - Civil War

The Navies of the Civil War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, William 1830s births Year of death unknown Irish emigrants to the United States Irish sailors in the United States Navy People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union Navy sailors Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor

See also

Notes/references

Bibliography

External links