William Densmore
Born: 1843 at New York, New York
Home Town: New York, New York
Medal of Honor
U.S. Navy
American Civil War
War Department, General Orders No. 45 (December 31, 1864)
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Chief Boatswain’s Mate William Densmore, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action, serving as Captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Richmond during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, Alabama, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Chief Boatswain’s Mate Densmore fought his gun with skill and courage throughout a furious two-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.
