Career
Born in 1835 in New York, Young joined the navy from that state. He served during the civil war as a boatswain"s mate on the United States Ship Cayuga. In Louisiana on April 24–25, 1862, the ship led a Union fleet up the Mississippi River past two Confederate forts, Jackson and Saint Philip, which guarded the approach to New Orleans.
Young manned a Parrott gun throughout the battle despite heavy fire from Confederate ships and the two forts.
Successfully passing the forts, the Union force went on to capture New Orleans. On board the United States.S. Cayuga during the capture of Forts Saint Philip and Jackson and the taking of New Orleans, 24 and 25 April 1862.
As his ship led the advance column toward the barrier and both forts opened fire simultaneously, striking the vessel from stem to stern, Young calmly manned a Parrot gun throughout the action in which attempts by three rebel steamers to butt and board were thwarted and the ships driven off or captured, 11 gunboats were successfully engaged and garrisons forced to surrender. During the battle, the Cayuga sustained 46 hits.