As a young man he lived in a place where crossing the bridge over the St. Croix River to St. Stephen, New Brunswick for employment, shopping, hospitalization, or just visiting friends, was an almost daily part of life.

Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, Young traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, where he joined the United States Navy.

In rough waters and under heavy enemy fire, Young and two other sailors, Landsman Frank S. Gile and Landsman William Williams, succeeded in passing in a small boat from their ship to the USS Nahant with a line wrapped on a hawser that would enable the Lehigh to be freed from her position.

[1] For this action, Young, Gile, and Williams each received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration.

After several previous attempts had been made, Young succeeded in passing in a small boat from the Lehigh to the Nahant with a line bent on a hawser.