William Young enlisted as a private in Company B of the First Texas Heavy Artillery at Galveston. The First Texas Artillery, also known as Cook's Regiment, was the main artillery regiment defending Galveston.
Like a number of his companions in the unit, Young was eventually transferred to the Texas Marine Department, where he served aboard old civilian riverboats which had been converted to military transports. On October 8, 1863, he was posted to the sidewheeler Diana, an old Buffalo Bayou packet, and in May 1864 was made coxswain of one of the Texas Marine Department's boats. The last entry in Young's service record, dated August 30, 1864, reads "Det[ached] as Guard on Stmr Denby" (Denbigh is often refered to as Denby or Danby in period documents.) Young's assignment to Denbigh corresponds with her first visit to Galveston.
Young died on May 1, 1901 and is buried in the United Confederate Veterans plot at Lakeview Cemetery, Galveston.
The UCV plot at Lakeview Cemetery in Galveston. Young's grave is in the center of the second row, with the darker stone.
Tradition holds that Confederate headstones are pointed "so Yankees can't sit on them."
Special thanks to Harrold Henck of Galveston for this material.