William Henry Harrison Benyaurd

Who was William Henry Harrison Benyaurd?

William Henry Harrison Benyaurd was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at Five Forks, Virginia on April 1, 1865. An 1863 graduate of West Point, Benyaurd was a 1st Lieutenant at Five Forks. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on September 7, 1897. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is buried at the West Point Cemetery. The United States Army Corps Of Engineers operates a large towboat named in his honor. The Motor Vessel Benyaurd works out of the Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division in Vicksburg, Mississippi, as is assigned to the Corps' Vicksburg District.