William Louis Carr

Steadfast conduct through the fighting to relieve old Peking

William Louis Carr was born in Peabody, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at Boston on 7 June 1898.

Carr received the Medal of Honor for service at Peking, China, from 21 July to 17 August 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. A Marine private in Captain Newt H. Hall’s detachment from USS Newark, he distinguished himself throughout the fighting in the presence of the enemy. His brief official citation recognizes sustained conduct rather than a single described maneuver. Carr’s award records the contribution of a Marine serving through weeks of dangerous operations in China.

The award was announced in General Order No. 55 of 19 July 1901 and presented on 11 December that year. Carr reached the rank of corporal before his honourable discharge on 10 June 1903. He died at Sandusky, Ohio, on 14 April 1921 and was buried in the Ohio Veterans Home Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

In action at Peking, China, 21 July to 17 August 1900. Throughout this action and in the presence of the enemy, Carr distinguished himself by his conduct.