William Haliday Williams

Private William Haliday Williams MOH

William Haliday Williams was born on 13 December 1845 at Williamstown, Ohio. During the American Civil War, he served in the Union Army as a private in Company C, 82nd Ohio Infantry.

Williams earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on 20 July 1864 at the Battle of Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign. At a dangerous point in the fighting, he voluntarily went beyond the Union lines to observe the enemy. He also aided a wounded comrade.

For this act of courage, Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor on 19 June 1894, nearly thirty years after the battle.

His official citation reads:

“Voluntarily went beyond the lines to observe the enemy; also aided a wounded comrade.”

William Haliday Williams died on 1 September 1916 in Schuyler, Nebraska. He was buried in Schuyler Cemetery, Schuyler, Nebraska.

Private Williams’ Medal of Honor reflects the direct, practical courage often recognized in Civil War awards: moving beyond the safety of his own lines to gather information on the enemy, and assisting a wounded fellow soldier under battlefield conditions.