Civil War Group to Honor Rhode Island Medal of Honor Recipient William B. Avery

Civil War Group to Honor Rhode Island Medal of Honor Recipient William B. Avery

On March 25, 2026, the Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), will host a formal Medal of Honor Day Ceremony to commemorate the bravery of Rhode Island’s heroes, with a specific focus on Civil War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Captain William B. Avery.

The public is invited to attend this solemn rededication service, which will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the North Burial Ground in Providence. Attendees are asked to enter the cemetery via the pedestrian gate to the cemetery on North Main St, across from Rochambeau Ave. Members of the SUVCW will be available to guide guests to the ceremony site.

Medal of Honor Day is a federal observance established by Congress to foster public appreciation for the recipients of the United States’ highest military recognition. The date, March 25, marks the anniversary of the first Medals of Honor presented in 1863.

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This year’s ceremony specifically honors Captain William Bailey Avery, a Providence native who demonstrated "the greatest coolness amidst the hottest fire" during the Battle of Tranter's Creek, North Carolina, on June 5, 1862. Avery initially enlisted as a private in the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry before serving as an officer in the 1st New York Marine Artillery.

 

Led by Camp Commander James P. McGuire, PDC, the service will follow a traditional SUVCW ritual, including:

• The Roll of Honor: A reading of the names of Rhode Island’s Medal of Honor recipients from all American conflicts.

• Symbolic Tributes: The placement of evergreen wreaths for undying love, roses for purity of cause, and grapevine wreaths for victory.

• Taps: The sounding of "Taps" by a bugler to honor the "Unknown Dead" and those who never returned to their hearth and home.

• Historical Reflection: A tribute to Captain Avery’s life, from his birth in Providence to his heroic actions during Major General Ambrose Burnside's North Carolina expedition.

 

Founded in 1881, the SUVCW is a congressionally chartered charitable fraternal organization that preserves the history and legacy of the Union veterans who fought during the Civil War to preserve the Union and free a People. It is a national network of men who form lifelong bonds, honor their heroic ancestors, and promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism in their communities. Based on the principles of Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty, they accept as members both descendants of Civil War veterans and non-descendants.