During the rescue, Patrick Mullen noticed an officer struggling in the water. As the man sank below the surface, Mullen jumped overboard and brought the officer back to the boat and saved him from drowning.
For his bravery, the young sailor was awarded a bar to wear on his Medal of Honor, signifying it was his second one.
Few details can be found online about the rest of Patrick Mullen's life. He had a wife named Emma and two sons, Edward and William, who were born after 1881. National Archives records show that he applied for a pension in the 1890s after filing a disability claim., but it was denied after he failed to show up for a medical exam.
Mullen died on February 14, 1897, in his adopted hometown of Baltimore. He was buried in the city's New Cathedral Cemetery.
Mullen's Medal of Honor (with the bar) is housed at the American Numismatic Society in New York.
--Old B-Runner
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