William Phinney

William Phinney (born c. 1824, date of death unknown) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Background

Born in 1824 in Norway, Phinney immigrated to the United States and was living in New York when he joined the Navy in 1848. He served during the Civil War as a boatswain's mate on the . At the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, Lackawanna engaged the at close range and Phinney distinguished himself as captain of an artillery gun. Four months later, on December 31, 1864, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in recognition of his actions in battle.