William Young

William Young (c. 1835 – December 26, 1878) 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 Forts Jackson and St. Philip.

Born in about 1835 in New York, Young joined the navy from that state. He served during the civil war as a boatswain's mate on the . In Louisiana on April 24–25, 1862, the ship led a Union fleet up the Mississippi River past two Confederate forts, Jackson and St. Philip, which guarded the approach to New Orleans. Young manned a Parrott gun throughout the battle despite heavy fire from Confederate ships and the two forts. Successfully passing the forts, the Union force went on to capture New Orleans. For his part in this action, Young was awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on April 3, 1863.