The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-06
M'KINLEY AT ANTIETAM.

Determined and Courageous Action of
the Commissary Sergeant of 10.
Columbus. O., Corr. Cleveland Leader.
4 few days ago Governor Mckinley ap-
pointed q commission in whose work he
will always feel a more than usual inter-
est. Ii consisted of 20 men, representing
10 Ohio regiments that fought in the bat
tie of Antietam, and will act under the
federal statute providing for commissions
TO determine the points where the regi-
ments of the respective states were
stationed IN that famous conflict. The
appointment recalls n unique and inter-
esting incident of the battle, in which
Governor Mckinley figured as a hero.
Few of this generation have ever heard of
of it, for Governor Mckinley rarely
dwells upon any personal "reminiscences
of this character. None of tho old boys of
the gallant 23d Ohio, who were its bone
ficiaries, will ever forget 1t, however. 1t
deserves to rank as one of the unparal-
leled incidents of that battle, perhaps of
the entire war, and illustrates the strong
sense of duty and tho desire to help others
that have always been marked character
istics of William Mckinley.
Shortly befor tho battle, Mckinley had
23d Ohio. then commanded by Colonel,
afterw ards General and President, Ruth
erford b. Hayes, who never ceased to hold
the highest regard for the man he first
knew as a beardless boy in the ranks. 1t
was an important trust to place on the
shoulders of n boy who was not yet 10
years of age but Hayes was a good Judge
OF men. and no felt that he could trust
young Mckinley. Events proved that he
was not mistaken in his man.
Tho responsibilities of the place were
new to the young sergeant when his regi-
ment went into that terrific series of bat
ties which began at South Mountain and
ended at Antietam, and he was particu-
larly anxious TO prove his fitness and abil-
ity for it. The regiment had seen the
hardest kind of service. South Mountain
saw over 100 of the $50 who went into ac-
ton killed or wounded and on the heels of
that came the further ordeal
of Antictam. All day on that
Hateful 18th of September tho regiment
had been in tho fore front. Tho waves of
conflict beat fcrcely upon il. Three times
il had been called upon TO repel furious
rebel charges made upon its lines and
it's own advances werc bitterly contested.
| Toward the close of the day it was sta
toned in n cornfleld. The storms of bull
let's which for hours had swept over the
field had moved down the maize a foot
or so above the ground, as by a reaper.
| The late afternoon had come and the
exhausted mon lay on their arms in the
taucle of fallen corn. No position in the
whole field was so perilous. The division
with which it had been connected during
the day had been Withdrawn, but by a n in
adyertence no order had reached the regi-
ment and IL remained on the field until
| Colonel Seaman came back and ordered
| il TO tho rear.
| IL was almost as much as life was worth
| TO lift ones head above tho dead level of
the cornstalks. All day the men had
charged and received charges. They had
| fought with signal bravery. Colonel Hayes
| had been wounded the preceding day, but
his broken arm did not keep him from the
field. Major Comfy, afterwards colonel,
and in later years well known as an Onio
editor. was IA command. The long strain
| OF hard lighting nad told OH the boys The
torture of suspense lest at any moment
an overwhelming force of the enemy
might sweep them back and break the
| Union lines, hung over them. They we're
| faint with WEAKNESS and hunger. For
many hours no man Of the regiment had