William Smith (Medal of Honor, 1864)

Not to be confused with William Smith (Medal of Honor, 1869) or William H. Smith (Medal of Honor).

William Smith
Born	c. 1826 Providence, Rhode Island
Died	Unknown
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Branch	United States Navy Union Navy
Rank	Quartermaster
Unit	USS Kearsarge (1861)
Conflicts	American Civil War Battle of Cherbourg (1864)
Awards	Medal of Honor

William Smith (born d. 1826) was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and was a Union Navy sailor during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor for his actions at Cherbourg, France. The William Smith who died January 12, 1902, and is buried at Blossom Hill Cemetery in Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, was the 1st Class Fireman aboard the USS Kearsarge, not the Medal of Honor Quartermaster.

Medal of Honor citation

Citation:

Served as second quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as captain of the 11-inch pivot gun of the second division, Smith carried out his duties courageously and deserved special notice for the deliberate and cool manner in which he acted throughout the bitter engagement. It is stated by rebel officers that this gun was more destructive and did more damage than any other gun of Kearsarge. ^{[1] [2]}

See also

• Biography portal
• American Civil War portal

• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: Q–S

Notes

1. ""Civil War Medal of Honor citations" (S-Z): Smith, William". AmericanCivilWar.com. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
2. "Medal of Honor website (M-Z): Smith, William". United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2007.