The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private William H. Paul, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 17 September 1862, while serving with Company E, 90th Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Antietam, Maryland. Under a most withering and concentrated fire, Private Paul voluntarily picked up the colors of his regiment, when the bearer and two of the color guards had been killed, and bore them aloft throughout the entire battle.