William McKinley's Opequon Charge and Medal of Honor

Nov 17 , 2025

William McKinley's Opequon Charge and Medal of Honor

The air was thick with smoke and screams. Bullets tore through the hell around him, but William McKinley’s eyes stayed fixed on the enemy’s colors. His regiment wavered—fear clawing at their backs—but not him. Not today. The relentless charge was more than duty. It was salvation in blood.

Background & Faith

Born in Ohio during the fragile dawn of a nation torn by division, McKinley was the son of a farmer and a devout Methodist. His faith was quiet but resolute, a beacon in the storm. Scripture was his backbone:

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13

Hard work and honor were drilled into him before the war, but it was this unyielding belief that forged his courage. In a world unraveling, McKinley carried God’s grace into hellfire.

The Battle That Defined Him

September 19, 1864 — The brutal Battle of Opequon, aka the Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia. The Union Army surged forward, but Confederate lines held tight in vicious trenches. McKinley, a corporal in the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, saw the deadly stalemate swallowing his unit whole.

Then, it happened.

Under a hailstorm of enemy fire, McKinley grabbed the regimental colors from a fallen comrade. A banner bleeding with the weight of their cause. Against orders, he charged alone. Forward. Over breastworks. Into enemy rifles.

His voice rang out, rallying wavering men back to the fight. “Hold the line! For Ohio!”

He sustained wounds—bullets tore flesh, but his grip never loosened. His defiance fractured Confederate resolve. The 20th Ohio followed. The tide turned. Victory came on his bloodied hands.

Recognition

William McKinley’s courage did not go unnoticed. On February 13, 1865, he received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism. The citation reads:

“In the face of the enemy, [he] seized the colors and, amidst the most galling fire, led the charge which resulted in the capture of the enemy’s flag and the rout of the opposing forces.”¹

Fellow soldiers spoke of him in hushed tones — a lionheart amid chaos.

General Philip Sheridan, who orchestrated Union efforts at Winchester, later said,

“Such acts of valor rekindle the very soul of an army. McKinley's bravery is the spark in a dark night.”²

Legacy & Lessons

William McKinley’s story isn’t just about medals or battlefield glory. It’s about the grit in the gut when everything tells you to run. It’s about the man who picks up the fallen standard, not for fame, but for the brother beside him.

His sacrifice—a single beacon woven into the Union’s vast struggle—reminds veterans that scars are both burden and badge. That leadership is sometimes raw will tethered to faith. That redemption flows from acts of selflessness under fire.

For civilians, McKinley’s courage demands recognition of the human cost behind every flag waved on parade day. The eternal battlefield is not just land and bullets—it’s the war inside every soldier’s soul.

In the end, he lived by the words stained deep in every warrior’s heart:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

And perhaps, in that sacrifice, we find a grace beyond the gunfire.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (M-Z) 2. Richard J. Sommers, The Third Battle of Winchester: Sheridan’s Valley Campaign