Horatio Nelson Young

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Horatio Nelson Young
July 19, 1845(1845-07-19) – July 3, 1913 (aged 67)
Horatio Young, Medal of Honor recipient
Place of birth	Calais, Maine
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	USN
Rank	Seaman
Unit	USS Lehigh
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Horatio Nelson Young (July 19, 1845–July 3, 1913) was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on the USS Lehigh during the American Civil War.

1 Biography
2 Medal of Honor citation
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Biography

Young was born in Calais, Maine, a small United States-Canada border town. As a young man he lived in a place where crossing the bridge over the St. Croix River to St. Stephen, New Brunswick for employment, shopping, hospitalization, or just visiting friends, was an almost daily part of normal life. The two close-knit communities have shared services for more than two hundred years.

Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, Horatio Young traveled to Boston, Massachusetts where he joined the United States Navy. On November 16, 1863, the 18-year-old boy was serving aboard the USS Lehigh, when his ship ran aground in the Charleston, South Carolina harbor. In rough waters, and under heavy enemy fire trying to stop him, Horatio Young made several attempts until he succeeded in passing in a small boat from his ship to the USS Nahant with a line wrapped on a hawser that would enable the Lehigh to be freed from her position.

His courageous action saved the lives of many men aboard the helpless ship and for his actions he received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration.

Horatio Young died in 1913 and was interred in the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery, in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada surrounded by other Canadian and American honored war dead.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 19 July 1845, Calais, Maine. G.O. No.: 32, 16 April 1864.

Citation:

On board the U.S.S. Lehigh, Charleston Harbor, 16 November 1863, during the hazardous task of freeing the Lehigh, which had grounded, and was under heavy enemy fire from Fort Moultrie. After several previous attempts had been made, Young succeeded in passing in a small boat from the Lehigh to the Nahant with a line bent on a hawser. This courageous action while under severe enemy fire enabled the Lehigh to be freed from her helpless position.