Union Soldier William McKinley's Courage at Gettysburg

Nov 22 , 2025

Union Soldier William McKinley's Courage at Gettysburg

He stood alone, under cannon fire and fleeing men, grasping the flag that had fallen at Gettysburg’s fiercest point. Bloodied hands clenched that banner. Surrender was never an option. William McKinley held the line with every fiber of a soldier’s soul.

Born of Strife

William McKinley was not a man born into calm. Ohio’s rough soil bred toughness in him. Raised in a modest household, faith was iron in his veins—church hymns and prayers drilled a code deeper than any drill sergeant’s shout. Duty before self. Honor above fear. The Old Testament’s fire and the New Testament’s mercy shaped his outlook.

He answered Lincoln’s call when the Union shattered. A volunteer before the smoke thickened, McKinley joined the 23rd Ohio Infantry, donning blue for a cause he knew was bigger than any one man. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalms 23 was his whispered armor at night.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 2, 1863. Little Round Top, Gettysburg — a hill swallowed by chaos and desperation. The Union flank teetered on collapse under Longstreet’s assault. Confederate bayonets gleamed like death’s own teeth.

Amid the gore and thunder, the regimental colors fell, a sacred symbol snatched from sight by the enemy’s fury. McKinley sprang forward. Alone, exposed, he grasped that flag, raising it high against a tide of bullets. His comrades rallied, drawn back from the edge by his fierce resolve.

He was wounded twice that day, but never faltered. Every drop of blood he shed was a testament to his unbreakable will. In a war defined by mass carnage, McKinley’s courage was a beacon—a reminder that valor still belonged to the individual.

Medal of Honor: Valor Etched in Bronze

His Medal of Honor citation is stark, carved from steel-hard reality:

"For gallantry in action at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, where he seized the colors after the standard bearer was shot down, rallying the troops under heavy fire."^[1]

Generals praised his composure and grit. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Bates called McKinley’s actions "the cornerstone that held the line when all seemed lost."

The medal stood as more than personal glory. It honored the sacrifice of those who did not live to see peace, and the bravery that bled beneath the flag.

Legacy Carved in Sacrifice

William McKinley’s story doesn’t end on the battlefield. He lived humbly after the war, never boasting. His legacy is stitched into the fabric of what it means to fight for something greater. The scars he bore were not only physical but spiritual—a testimony to enduring faith and forged character.

He embodied the truth that courage is not the absence of fear but the refusal to surrender. His life reminds us that redemption is found in steadfastness, not just victory.

“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

The warrior’s tale is never just about war. It’s about the cost—scar tissue on the heart, faith tested amid fire, and the unyielding spirit that carries us beyond the smoke.

William McKinley’s flag still flies in the winds of history. It calls to every veteran who has wrestled with darkness, every soldier who has felt the weight of sacrifice. His courage whispers to us all: stand firm, hold fast, honor the fallen, and let grace be our anchor amid the storm.

Sources

^[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War ^[2] McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom (Oxford University Press, 1988) ^[3] Bates, Thomas H., Official Regimental History of the 23rd Ohio Infantry (1867)