William Magee (Medal of Honor)

William Magee was a Drummer in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his role in the American Civil War. Magee was the youngest person from the state of New Jersey to have ever earned the Medal of Honor.

At the time of Magee's enlistment in the United States Army, he was about the age of only 14 years. He left behind his family in Newark to fight in the serve in the American Civil War as a drummer. Magee was a self claimed hero for holding back Confederate forces from infiltrating a Union camp. This account (given by himself) was in fact a lie for he was fighting the disease typhoid and was used at the Union camp as a sort of 'gopher' for odd jobs around the camp while regaining his strength. Magee never even left the walls of the camp during this conflict at all. Magee later received the Medal of Honor for this 'notorious' act which he 'allegedly' led.

Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Drummer, Company C, 33d New Jersey Infantry. Place and date: At Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 5, 1864. Entered service at:--. Birth: Newark, N.J. Date of issue: February 7, 1866.

Citation:

In a charge, was among the first to reach a battery of the enemy and, with one or two others, mounted the artillery horses and took two guns into the Union lines.