William Conway was a quartermaster in the United States (Union) Navy, on duty when the Navy Yard was surrendered to the Confederacy on January 12, 1861. When Conway was ordered[4] to strike the colors, he refused to do so, reportedly stating either "I have served under that flag for forty years, and I won't do it,"[5] or "That is the flag of my country. I have given my life to it. I will not haul it down."[6] Conway was subsequently jailed for his indignation.
| William Conway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1802[1] or 1808[2] Camden, Maine |
| Died | November 30, 1865[3] Brooklyn, New York |
| Occupation | Quartermaster, Union Navy |
After his release Conway was commended by the Secretary of the Navy and awarded a gold medal by the State of California. Two U.S. naval destroyers have been named in his honor.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, 1888. p. 712.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Sources disagree on who exactly gave the order.
- ↑ Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, 1888. p. 712.
- ↑ Maine, My State], 1919. p. 268.
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