The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant William G. Whitney, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 20 September 1863, while serving with Company B, 11th Michigan Infantry, in action at Chickamauga, Georgia. As the enemy were about to charge, Sergeant Whitney went outside the temporary Union works among the dead and wounded enemy and at great exposure to himself cut off and removed their cartridge boxes, bringing the same within the Union lines, the ammunition being used with good effect in again repulsing the attack.