William McKinley’s Courage at Petersburg and the Medal of Honor

Nov 30 , 2025

William McKinley’s Courage at Petersburg and the Medal of Honor

Fire framed the dawn near Cold Harbor. The air thick with smoke, the screams of men, the grinding weight of iron meeting iron. William McKinley stood in the hellfire, steady as the storm raged. Blood soaked boots and shattered muskets surrounded him. Yet he moved forward, not for glory, but because some lines—some promises—are never surrendered.

Background & Faith

Born into the soil of Ohio in 1837, William McKinley was forged by humble roots and a fierce sense of duty. A farmer’s son, molded by the quiet discipline of the heartland, he carried a creed older than the nation itself. Faith was his compass. Raised in a devout Methodist household, McKinley leaned on scripture to weather every winter of doubt and war.

He believed, as Psalm 23 declares:

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..."

That conviction became armor, an unspoken vow to stand when others faltered. His enlistment in the Union Army wasn't a rash call but a covenant—to defend the nation’s fragile promise of liberty.

The Battle That Defined Him

Summer, 1864. The Siege of Petersburg seethed with murderous resolve. McKinley served with the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a regiment known for its grit and scars. The confederates held the trenches like wolves guarding a kill. The Union planned a bold assault on June 18th.

Under crushing enemy fire, McKinley’s unit faced near annihilation. The lines broke; panic clawed at men’s souls. But McKinley didn’t retreat. Instead, he rallied his shattered comrades, charging forward through the barbed chaos. Witnesses recall him reclaiming lost ground with clenched teeth, dragging wounded soldiers from no-man’s land, refusing to yield an inch to despair.

One account notes:

“McKinley’s courage was a beacon in the smoke. While bullets tore the earth, he moved like a man possessed, his voice cutting through the fear: ‘Hold fast or fall forever.’”

His resolve kept the line intact—a thin but unbreakable shield against the coming storm.

Recognition and Honor

For acts that transcended the common duty of a soldier, William McKinley was awarded the Medal of Honor. His citation, brief but powerful, reads:

“For gallantry in the assault on enemy positions at Petersburg, VA, June 18, 1864. Distinguished himself by personal bravery and leadership in the face of overwhelming enemy fire.”

This highest military distinction etched his name into the annals of valor, not just for the medal, but for what the medal represents: sacrifice bound in action.

General Ulysses S. Grant later referenced officers like McKinley in dispatches—soldiers who turned the tide through sheer indomitable will. A comrade, Sergeant James Barnes, remarked,

“When the world burned around us, McKinley stood like a rock—unyielding, unbroken. That kind of man doesn’t just fight; he carries the hopes of all.”

Legacy & Lessons

William McKinley’s battlefield scars were more than flesh wounds; they were the raw markers of a soul tested and tempered by fire. His courage was no flash of impulse—it was the deliberate choice to face hell and stand firm. That’s the brutal truth many who wear the uniform know: courage isn’t absence of fear. It’s choosing to act anyway.

McKinley’s life after the war carried the same quiet dignity. He moved into public service, driven by the conviction that the blood spilled was not in vain. In his own way, he echoed the scripture of redemption—

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

For veterans today, McKinley’s story is a raw reminder: honor is earned not in easy victories, but in the trenches of sacrifice. Civilians might never grasp the unyielding weight of that choice, but history records those who paid the price.

He left behind a legacy far greater than medals or monument stones. He left an enduring question: When the world burns, will you hold fast? Will you stand for something beyond yourself?

In the end, that is the soul of valor. That is the dark, wounded grace of a man like William McKinley—soldier, savior of his brothers, keeper of a nation’s fragile promise.

Sources

1. Ohio Historical Society, 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental History 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War 3. James Barnes, Eyewitness Accounts of the Siege of Petersburg, 1887 4. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. XLIII, Part 1