William Sadler (Medal of Honor)

Keeping a fallen sailor afloat off Newport

William Sadler earned the Medal of Honor for rescuing a shipmate off Coasters Harbor Island near Newport, Rhode Island, on June 25, 1881. Serving as captain of the top aboard USS Saratoga, he jumped overboard after Frank Gallagher, a second class boy, fell into the water. Sadler supported him until a boat from the ship picked them up.

Born in Boston in 1854, Sadler received his medal from President Theodore Roosevelt at the White House on April 23, 1904. His citation records the peacetime rescue that earned his recognition.

Medal of Honor citation

For jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Saratoga, off Coasters Harbor Island, R.I., 25 June 1881, and sustaining until picked up by a boat from the ship, Frank Gallagher, second class boy, who had fallen overboard.