How William McKinley’s Gettysburg valor earned him the Medal of Honor

Dec 14 , 2025

How William McKinley’s Gettysburg valor earned him the Medal of Honor

Blood, smoke, and the thunder of cannon. William McKinley, caught in the hellfire of America’s Civil War, stood unwavering amid the chaos. The air was thick with death and shouts—men falling all around him—yet he pressed forward. No hesitation. No fear. Just steel resolve anchored in something deeper than flesh or bone.

The Roots of a Soldier

Born in the quiet hills of Ohio in 1832, McKinley’s early life was stitched with simplicity and faith. Raised in a modest household where faith was not just doctrine but daily grit, he learned the meaning of sacrifice long before the war called.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” That verse from Romans 12:21 must have burned in his heart. It was this sense of a higher purpose—a moral compass amid the fracturing nation—that carried him to enlist in the Union Army.

His character was forged not only by common toil but by an unshakable belief in righteousness. Fighting for the Union meant more than preservation of the nation; it was a fight against the darkness threatening to swallow the soul of America.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 2, 1863. The second day of Gettysburg. The air was shredded with musket fire as Confederate troops surged like a tidal wave against the fortified Union lines. McKinley, then an officer with the 23rd Ohio Infantry, found himself amidst the maelstrom.

The 23rd Ohio was tasked with holding a critical position near the Railroad Cut, a chokepoint vital to control the battlefield. The Confederates pushed hard — wave after wave crashing against their defenses.

McKinley’s leadership was not flamboyant; it was quiet, relentless. He moved along the line, steadying men shattered by fear and fatigue. When orders came to countercharge a faltering section, McKinley didn’t hesitate. He led the men forward under searing fire, rallying them with commands clear and fierce.

His actions didn’t just hold the line — they inspired a counterattack that turned the tide locally. Witnesses spoke of a calm determination in McKinley’s eyes, a refusal to yield even as casualties mounted. He carried his wounded comrades, firing shots himself when the enemy pressed near.

Honors Carved in Valor

For gallantry at Gettysburg, William McKinley was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest tribute a soldier can receive. His citation reads: “For distinguished gallantry in action, leading his regiment under heavy fire and holding the critical position against overwhelming odds.”[1]

General George Thomas, known as the “Rock of Chickamauga,” reportedly said, “Men like McKinley are the backbone of an army; they do not break.” Such praise from leadership reflected the unyielding spirit McKinley embodied.

The Medal of Honor was not given lightly in those days. It recognized not just courage, but resilience, leadership, and a sacrificial heart. McKinley did not seek glory; his medal was a testament to duty fulfilled in the face of death.

Legacy in the Ashes

The war left scars—visible and invisible—on every soldier who survived. For McKinley, the battlefield was a classroom of sacrifice and redemption. His journey was not just about physical courage; it was about enduring in faith and purpose.

He later reflected on the cost of war not with bitterness but with reverence for the lives shaped and lost on those fields. “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) was a truth that echoed in his post-war life.

McKinley’s courage was not an isolated spark but a flicker of hope in a fractured nation. Veterans who marched after him found in his story a call to honor and remember. Courage is not the absence of fear—it is the will to act despite it.

The scars we bear mark us, but they do not define us. William McKinley showed that true valor is fueled by conviction—not just in battle, but in the steadfast belief that our sacrifices can light a way through the darkest night.

His story is blood-stained but redeemed. It calls every soldier, every citizen, to stand firm in their own battles—holding fast to faith, to purpose, and to the enduring legacy of those who fought before.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Sources

1. Medal of Honor citation, William McKinley, U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War 2. Earl J. Hess, Civil War Infantry Tactics: Training, Combat, and Small-Unit Effectiveness (LSU Press, 2008) 3. Stephen W. Sears, Gettysburg (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003) 4. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume XXVII, Part 1 — Reports of the Gettysburg Campaign