Patrick Mullen was part of a cutter crew during a boat expedition when it came under heavy attack by a few hundred Confederates. According to his citation, he helped his commanding officer by taking charge of the boat's only howitzer.
Lying on his back, Mullen loaded the weapon and expertly fired it at the enemy, killing and wounding several of them. The blast led to a Confederate retreat, which saved the lives of his comrades.
Mullen earned his second Medal of Honor just six weeks later. However, he earned it after the war was over, which officially ended April 9, 1865. (It actually did not end on April 9th which was the surrender of Lee's army. Confederate armies were still in the field at the time.)
This time. Mullen was on the USS Don, a captured British blockade runner that was now patrolling the Potomac River. On May 1, 1865, the Don attempted to pick up the crew of a smaller vessel, Picket Launch No. 6, which had begun to fill with water.
And, then....
--Old B-Runner
