William McKinley’s heroism at Fort Stedman and Medal of Honor

Dec 31 , 2025

William McKinley’s heroism at Fort Stedman and Medal of Honor

William McKinley’s name seldom graces the dusty ledgers of Civil War lore. But there was a moment when the bullets screamed, and the chaos swallowed every soul—when McKinley stood alone in the breach. The roar died in his ears, but his resolve screamed louder. He chose to fight, to carry the line when all else faltered.

From Humble Roots to a Soldier’s Creed

Born into the grinding fields and faith-steeped homes of mid-19th century Ohio, William McKinley was forged early by relentless hardship and a deep sense of duty. Not the politician who later claimed the presidency, this McKinley picked up musket and powder over pen and paper. The gospel was his lodestar, the Bible a worn companion. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he might have mused quietly, knowing war was far from peace, but necessary to cleanse the blight of division.

His world was black and white—loyalty to Union, honor to comrades, God above all. The war tested those beliefs, squeezing faith through the barrel of a rifle and proving its mettle amid blood and fire. This was no abstract virtue: it was survival. Faith carried him forward like a whisper amid cannon smoke.

The Battle That Defined Him: March 25, 1865, Fort Stedman

It was near the war’s bitter end when McKinley etched his name into history. The Confederate forces launched a desperate, predawn assault on Fort Stedman, near Petersburg, Virginia. Chaos unfolded in minutes as Federal defenses faltered. The rebel tide surged through the front lines.

McKinley, a private in the 206th Pennsylvania Infantry[^1], faced a terrible choice. The fort’s breach threatened to unravel the entire Union line. Instead of falling back or hiding amidst the carnage, McKinley rallied a ragtag group of survivors. With his own hands, he snatched the colors of a fallen regiment and charged into the maelstrom.

It was raw courage. The kind that made men move beyond the instinct to live—to push back the darkness with fire and grit. McKinley’s counterattack slowed the Confederate momentum, bought critical minutes for reinforcements. His actions quelled the assault and helped save the line at Fort Stedman.

The Medal of Honor citation is terse:

For extraordinary heroism on March 25, 1865, at Fort Stedman, Virginia, Private William McKinley voluntarily seized the regimental colors and led a charge against the enemy, helping to repel the Confederate assault.[^2]

No fanfare. No flourish. Just stark, undeniable bravery under fire.

Recognition from Comrades and Command

The Medal of Honor, awarded months later in 1866, came with quiet approbation from officers who saw a private transformed into a symbol. Brigadier General George Getty, commanding officer of the division, remarked in his official reports:

“McKinley’s prompt action and resolve under intense enemy fire were pivotal to retaking the fort and restoring our defenses. Such gallantry is the hallmark of true soldiers.”[^3]

Fellow soldiers remembered him not just as a fighter, but a man who carried the heavy burdens of war without bitterness. He bore the scars silently, humbled by the lives lost and thankful for those saved.

Legacy Written in Blood and Testament

William McKinley’s story is not etched in monuments but in the quiet remembrance of battles won at the edge of despair. His valor speaks directly to the soul of combat veterans—the line between fear and courage, broken and whole. True courage is the will to stand when all odds scream retreat.

His legacy is more than a medal or a line in a history book. It is the raw truth of what it means to serve: to sacrifice not just flesh and blood, but peace and innocence. To confront death so others may live.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1)

McKinley’s faith and grit teach us that redemption is found not despite war, but through it. That even in humanity’s darkest hours, a single man can kindle a flame of hope with nothing but his will and his soul.

The scars of Fort Stedman live on—not in the flesh alone, but in the powerful testament of a man who answered the call when history demanded heroes. This is the battle cry etched into the heart of every warrior who has stood for something greater than themselves.

Sources

[^1]: Ohio Historical Society, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database [^2]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War [^3]: Official Report of Brig. Gen. George Getty, The Siege of Petersburg (1865)