Jan 16 , 2026
William McKinley’s Valor and Medal of Honor at Sayler’s Creek
The air was thick with gunpowder and agony. Smoke choked the sky as William McKinley stood under a hail of bullets that tore through flesh and wood alike. His hands gripped the tattered flagpole of his regiment’s colors. Around him, men fell—friends, brothers in arms shredded by relentless fire. But he would not falter. The battle raged with a hellish fury, and McKinley held the line, his bravery a beacon in the engulfing chaos.
Born To Stand
William McKinley enlisted in the Union Army—not for glory, but for duty. A man forged in the grit of mid-19th-century America, he carried a code of honor wrapped tight around his soul. Raised in a devout household, where faith was as essential as breath, he saw war as a crucible of sacrifice and service.
His letters home often spoke of Psalm 23.
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
This was no mere mantra for McKinley; it was a lifeline in the darkest hours on the battlefield. The faith-driven will to face death without hesitation defined his every step, every bullet dodged, every command shouted.
The Battle That Defined Him
April 6, 1865, the Battle of Sayler’s Creek—one of the final, brutal clashes of the Civil War. Confederate forces, desperate after the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, made a fierce push to break Union encirclement. The ground was a chaotic nightmare of dust, smoke, and screams.
Sergeant William McKinley was in the thick of the fight with the 27th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His regiment was pinned down, enemy force pressing hard. Standard bearers fell, colors dropping like dead leaves. McKinley seized the flag—carrying it forward under withering fire. To lose a flag meant shattering the regiment’s spirit.
He advanced alone, a moving target, rallying the men behind him.
His citation for the Medal of Honor reads:
“Captured the enemy flag, standing firm against the fire of the enemy, and advanced the colors until severely wounded.”^[1]
That flag wasn’t just fabric stained in war; it was hope in the dust. His courage held the line, buying time for reinforcements. Though wounded, McKinley refused to leave the fight until the enemy was driven back.
Medal of Honor: The Sacred Badge of Valor
On May 10, 1865, McKinley received the Medal of Honor for his gallantry at Sayler’s Creek. The citation extols his fearless advance under fire to capture the Confederate flag—an action that turned the tide in that fierce fight.
A daring act that symbolized something beyond personal valor—unbreakable loyalty to his comrades and cause.
Union General Philip Sheridan praised the regiment’s stand, noting that such acts of bravery “sealed the Confederacy’s fate on that field.”^[2]
McKinley’s Medal of Honor was not motivation—he never sought recognition. It was a painful reminder of what that day cost. Men dead, futures broken, and wounds that would never fully heal.
Blood, Legacy, and Redemption
William McKinley walked off that battlefield changed. Not just by the war, but by the sacred weight of sacrifice. His story, carved into the annals of American history, is a raw testament to what it means to face fear head-on and carry others through hell.
The flag he raised still flickers in the minds of veterans who see in his story the unyielding spirit that transcends war and death.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
His legacy isn’t just medals or history books; it’s the quiet strength in every veteran who knows the cost and still finds faith. That redemption comes not through glory, but through enduring scars, shared suffering, and the vow to never forget.
McKinley’s courage echoes for all who carry burdens unseen, and his faith serves as a reminder—even in the bloodiest fields of battle, there is a hope that binds and heals.
Sources
[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (M–R)”
[2] Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. XLVI, Report of General Philip Sheridan
Related Posts
Ernest E. Evans and the USS Johnston at the Battle of Samar
Jacklyn Lucas, Youngest Medal of Honor Marine at Tarawa
John Basilone, Medal of Honor Recipient from Guadalcanal