Asa Betham

Coxswain Asa Betham spent the Fort Fisher operations aboard USS Pontoosuc under enemy fire. His coolness, skill, and faithful performance through the fighting brought him the Medal of Honor.

Asa Betham was born 1838 in New York City. During the period relevant to his Medal of Honor, he served as Coxswain, U.S. Navy with U.S.S. Pontoosuc.

On December 24, 1864 to January 22, 1865, at Fort Fisher and Wilmington, North Carolina, he performed the action that led to the award. The surviving record fixes the core event clearly and allows the account to be told without adding unsupported detail.

Medal of Honor Citation

Performed his duties with gallantry, skill, and cool courage while under enemy fire during the operations against Fort Fisher and Wilmington. Reliable public sources reviewed for this batch do not establish his later life or death with enough certainty to add further detail.

His record is strongest when kept close to the documented action: the unit, place, date, and conduct for which the Medal of Honor was awarded.