Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Stories of Sacrifice
U.S. Civil War - U.S. Navy
William Shipman
Details
- Rank: Coxswain
- Conflict/Era: U.S. Civil War
- Unit/Command:
U.S.S. Ticonderoga - Military Service Branch: U.S. Navy
- Medal of Honor Action Date: January 15, 1865
- Medal of Honor Action Place: Fort Fisher, North Carolina, USA
Citation
On board the U.S.S. Ticonderoga in the attack upon Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865. As captain of No. 2 gun, stationed near the 100-pound Parrott rifle when it burst into fragments, killing eight men and wounding 12 more, Shipman promptly recognized the effect produced by the explosion and, despite the carnage surrounding them and the enemy's fire, encouraged the men at their guns by exclaiming, "Go ahead, boys! This is only the fortunes of war!"
Additional Details
- Accredited to: New York, New York
- Awarded Posthumously: No
- Born: 1831, New York, NY, United States
- Died: April 17, 1894
- Buried: Holy Cross Cemetery (3-11-36-2), Yeadon, PA, United States