William Gardner

Born in Ireland around 1832, William Gardner spent his early years working as a mariner before crossing the Atlantic and taking up residence in New York. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, he enlisted in the United States Navy from New York's Fourth Congressional District as a seaman. Official service numbers were not assigned to enlisted naval personnel during the Civil War era. Descriptive records from his enlistment list him as five feet nine and a half inches tall, with dark hair, hazel eyes, and a dark complexion. Assigned to the steam screw gunboat USS Galena, Gardner served under Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron during the campaign against Confederate fortresses guarding Mobile Bay, Alabama.

On August 5, 1864, Admiral Farragut committed his fleet to force passage through the heavily fortified channel defended by Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, and a Confederate squadron under Admiral Franklin Buchanan. To ensure disabled vessels could be towed out of enemy crossfire, Farragut ordered his wooden ships lashed together in pairs. USS Galena was paired along the port side of the screw sloop USS Oneida, positioned near the rear of the main wooden ship column. As the fleet came under heavy artillery fire from Fort Morgan, a shell penetrated Oneida's starboard boiler, causing an explosion that scalded several crewmen and disabled her engines. Lashed to the crippled vessel, Galena used her own steam propulsion to tow Oneida past the fort's guns while returning fire against enemy gunboats and the ironclad ram CSS Tennessee.

Throughout the engagement, Gardner performed his duties on board Galena with steady composure under continuous cannonade. His conduct contributed directly to preserving both warships and securing the fleet's entrance into Mobile Bay. Gardner later attained the rating of ship's cook during his naval service. On December 31, 1864, the Navy Department issued General Order No. 45, awarding Gardner the Medal of Honor, the highest gallantry decoration awarded to him. The official citation reads:

"As seaman on board the U.S.S. Galena in the engagement at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Serving gallantly during this fierce battle which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee and the damaging of Fort Morgan, Gardner behaved with conspicuous coolness under the fire of the enemy."

Primary naval personnel records contain no verified documentation regarding Gardner's post-war career or date of death.