Career
Born in 1842 in England, Irving immigrated to the United States and was living in New York when he joined the United States. Navy. He served during the Civil War as a coxswain on the United States Ship Lehigh. On November 16, 1863, Lehigh was in Charleston Harbor providing support for Union troops on shore when the ship ran aground on a sand bar and came under heavy fire from Fort Moultrie.
Despite intense Confederate artillery fire, Irving and fellow sailor Gunner"s Mate George West. Leland rowed a small boat trailing a hawser from Lehigh to another Union ironclad, the United States Ship Nahant.
Both times, the cable snapped due to friction and hostile fire. Officers were about to give an "abandon ship" order when three more sailors, Landsman Frank South. Gile, Landsman William Williams, and Seaman Horatio Nelson Young, volunteered to make one more attempt.
This last effort was successful and Nahant was able to tow Lehigh off the sandbar to safety. Irving was promoted to acting master"s mate before leaving the Navy in January 1865.