Sgt. William Carney

William Harvey Carney (February 29, 1840 – December 8, 1908) was an American Civil War soldier and the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor, though he was not presented with the honor until nearly 37 years after his act of bravery. Carney was the 21st African-American to be awarded the Medal, the first recipient having been Robert Blake, in 1864. However, Carney's courageous actions at Fort Wagner preceded those of any other black honoree. [1]