Patrick Mullen

He fought under fire, then dived to save a drowning officer.

Patrick Mullen, an Irish-born United States Navy boatswain’s mate, earned the Medal of Honor twice for extraordinary courage in 1865. His first award recognized gallantry against Confederate forces at Mattox Creek, Virginia. His second honoured a lifesaving rescue while serving aboard USS Don.

Born Patrick Mullin in Ireland on 6 May 1844, he emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He adopted the spelling Mullen when he joined the Navy. During the American Civil War, he served aboard USS Wyandank, a steamer supporting the Union Navy’s Potomac Squadron. (war.gov)

On 17 March 1865, Mullen accompanied a boat expedition up Mattox Creek when Confederate forces opened fire. Assisting his commanding officer, he loaded the boat’s howitzer while lying on his back, then fired with devastating accuracy. His gunfire inflicted casualties and forced the attackers to retreat. This action earned his first Medal of Honor. (cmohs.org)

Just over six weeks later, on 1 May 1865, Mullen demonstrated another form of courage. Serving aboard USS Don during the rescue of men from the swamped Picket Launch No. 6, he saw an exhausted officer disappear beneath the water. Mullen jumped overboard and brought the officer safely to the boat. His second Medal of Honor citation expressly authorized a bar to the medal awarded for Mattox Creek. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society classifies this rescue under the Interim Period, 1865–1870. (cmohs.org)

Mullen’s later life is less extensively documented. He married Emma and had two sons, Edward and William. He died in Baltimore on 14 February 1897, aged 52, and was buried in New Cathedral Cemetery. His two awards preserve the story of a sailor whose courage carried him through both enemy fire and a desperate rescue at sea. (war.gov, cmohs.org)