William Conway (United States Navy)

A sketch of Conway by William Waud

William Conway (c. 1802 – November 30, 1865) was a United States Navy sailor, born in Camden, Maine. He served in the Navy for forty (40) years.[1]

In January 1861, he was serving as the quartermaster for Pensacola Navy Yard (also known as Warrington Navy Yard).[1] On January 12, 1861, two men claiming to be commissioners of the state of Florida, along with a "large force of armed men", ordered the surrender of the Navy yard and its munitions.[2] In spite of having a company of Marines and two ships-of-war under his command, the fort's captain surrendered.[a][2] The fort's men were taken as prisoners.[2] Confederate sympathizer Lieutenant Frederick B. Kinshaw ordered Conway to lower the American flag. Conway replied: "I have served under that flag for forty years, and I won't do it."[1] For his refusal, Conway was arrested and clapped in irons. Shortly afterward, he was sent north,[1] where he remained until his death at Brooklyn, New York. For his patriotic action, Conway was presented with a gold medal by citizens of California and a letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy.[4]

Conway died on May 30, 1865 in Brooklyn, New York and was buried in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.[5]

Conway Monument in c. 1910

In August 1906, the Quartermaster William Conway Monument was unveiled at Camden, a granite boulder affixed with a commemorative bronze plaque "honoring his sturdy loyalty."

## Namesakes

[edit]

Two destroyers have been named USS Conway in his honor:[6]

* USS Conway (DD-70), a Caldwell-class destroyer
* USS Conway (DD-507), a World War II Fletcher-class destroyer

## Endnotes

[edit]

1. ^ The captain was court martialed and given a "five-year suspension from command and a public reprimand."[3]

## References

[edit]

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

1. ^ a b c d Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1888). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography - Volume 1. New York: D. Appleton & Company. p. 712. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
2. ^ a b c Maine Writers 1919, p. 267.
3. ^ Maine Writers 1919, p. 268.
4. ^ Maine Writers 1919, pp. 268–269.
5. ^ Maine Writers 1919, p. 269.
6. ^ "Conway II (DD-507)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS). Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Navy. Retrieved June 12, 2025.

## Sources

[edit]

* "Conway II (DD-507)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS). Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Navy. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
* The Maine Writers Research Club (1919). Maine My State. Lewiston, Maine: The Journal Print Shop. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
* Miller, J. Michael (Fall 1991). "Marine's Telling of 1861 Florida Navy Yard Fall Given" (PDF). Fortitudine. XX (4). History & Museum Division, United States Marine Corps: 8–9. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
* Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1888). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography - Volume 1. New York: D. Appleton & Company. p. 712. Retrieved June 12, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships -- USS Conway

This biographical article related to the United States Navy is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This article about a person of the American Civil War is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template