William Jones

William Jones stood to his duties aboard USS Richmond as the ship fought through Mobile Bay under fire from Confederate forts, gunboats, and the ironclad Tennessee.

Born in Philadelphia in 1831, Jones served in the U.S. Navy as captain of the top aboard Richmond. On 5 August 1864, during the Battle of Mobile Bay, he performed his duties with skill and courage while enemy fire struck the ship and caused casualties among the crew. The engagement ended with the surrender of the Confederate ram Tennessee and successful attacks against Fort Morgan.

Medal of Honor Citation (condensed): Aboard USS Richmond at Mobile Bay, Jones performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the prolonged action despite enemy fire, ship damage, and casualties.

Reliable sources do not establish his later life or death well enough to extend the biography beyond his naval service.

The source rack used the Army campaign entry. Jones was a Navy sailor, so the proposed rack retains the Medal of Honor but replaces the generic Army Civil War Campaign Medal with the existing Navy Civil War Campaign Medal catalogue entry. No device is supported.