The Yale expositor., 1896-09-04
TALKED TO VETERANS.
Survivors of the Twenty-third
Ohio Regiment Journey in a
Body to Canton.
M'KlNLEY AND HIS COMRADES.
The Major Makes a Speech Which
Rouses the Old Soldiers to
Enthusiasm.

Two hundred of Mai. McKinley's old
comrades in war called at his home on
| August r. They came from Cleveland
| principally, but many of them from dis
tant points. They were survivors of the
| Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer infantry.
The regiment was famed for its war
record, the number of its hard-fought
| battles, including South Mountain, An
tietam and Gen. Sheridan's many bat
ties in the Shenandoah valley in "a: for
the number of its killed and wounded,
and also for its great men noted in
war and civil life.
OF the field officers only two survive
Gen. William s. Rosecrans of San Fran
cisco aud Gen. Russell Hastings of the
Bermuda islands.
The scene today was touching one.
Mrs. Mckinley sat in the hallway near
| the porch, from which the major re-
| sponded to the eloquent greeting given
| him by Capt John =. Ellen, mayor of
| Willoughby. The old soldiers cheered
aud the old flag waved with every burst
Of applause. Capt. Ellen told of Will
liam Mckinley rs private soldier. say
ing in part:
Comrade: We have assembled here
today from all parts of the union and
from many vocations in life TO congratu-
late you. our comrade in arms. on your
nomina ton MS candidate for the Presi-
4
that Co Il had one member. very youth
full in appearance. so much so that Capt.
Robinson of the Fifth infantry made
some inquiry as to age and consent of
parents.
Eager for the Fray.
The answers of the recruit were so
prompt and so decisive and his desire
so very modest. and asking to be en-
rolled as a private. that the officer with
out further hesitation administered the
oath and William Mckinley, Jr., at the
age of II, was made a full-hedged pri-
vate soldier in the Union army. Great
applause and three cheers for Mckin-
ley.l
Then away to the hills and mountains
of West Virginia, where we fought and
skirmished the summer away, meeting
and defeating Confederate Gen. Floyd
at Carinfax Ferry. September 10, 1861.
In recognition of your bravery, eff
ficiency and fidelity to duty. you were,
in April, 1862, appointed to the commits
stoned staff cOmmissary sergeant. Those
of us present whom you then served are
ready 10 bear testimony to the very
marked Improvement and regularity of
service in this one branch of military
life. If from any cause the coming OF
the supply trains were delayed and ra-
tons were short, MACK" did the next
best thing and made a requstion on the
country round about. At a later day
your gallantry and fidelity secured your
promotion and assignment to duty on
| the general staff. But whatever the dis
| tinction or disparity in rank you always
retained close touch with the boys who
were your first associates in army life.
In conclusion let me say that the spirit
of 1861 is not dormant; that, as we went
shoulder to shoulder in the defense of
our country, so now with willing hands
| and united voices we stand for our cOun-
try's honor and for our country's flag.
| Thirty-five years ago you stood with your
comrades as private soldier in the great
army which was cOntending for national
life and national union. Today you are
| the chosen leader, not of mere party,
| but of the people. contending for law
and order, national honor and the in
volatility of the public faith Your
| old comrades are with you now as then.
| We stand shoulder TO shoulder now as
then. We rally about you and the glori-
Gus banner you now carry with our old
love and loyalty. and declare with you
| that "the money of our country must be
as sound as the Union and as unfair
| nished as it's flag" With an abiding
| faith in the virtue. intelligence, honor
and discriminating Judgment of the
American people. we again congratulate
You and bid YOU Godspeed. Great APP
plause and cheeringD
Happy Reply of Mr.. Mckinley.
When storm of applause had sub
sided Mai. Mckinley Responded:
Cant. ellen and Ny Comrades IF the
| Twenty-third Ohio: This call of the sur
viving members of the old regiment with
which | served for more than four years
! at NV home /, n most gracious act on
| their part. and brings to me peculiar and
special qualification. AS | look upon
this little body of men assembled about
| me. and remember that this is but the
remnant of the old Twenty-third that.
| thirty-five years ago. had 1910 sturdy
young men on its roll ready for duty,
: and that il was twice recruited to the
total number of nearly BOO. that here
| is gathered possibly less than 100. and
! that is one-fourth of the surviving mem
| bers of our glorious old regiment, | am
| wildly reminded how rapidly the years
are passing. and with them are passing
: our old associates of the war. The sur
/ vivors are scattered through twenty
| four states of the union. Some IF our
members are in the territories One of
them resides on the other side # the
| water But wherever they are. and in
whatever vocation they may be engaged,
they all love the old regimental organiza-
| ton which is the proudest thing to them
on earth. Applause.
We had a great regiment; great in its
| field officers; great in the character of
| the rank and file that constituted IL.
| Our hearts go out with tenderness and
| love, am sure, 10 tne nrst cOlonel OF our
regiment. Gen. William $. Rosecrdns,
to his distant home in California. IGreat
applause.l
| We all remember his splendid disci-
pine and gentle qualities and we rem nm
Der with what pride we marched under
his command in West Virginia In 1861.
| Tribute to scammon.
And we remember, too, that ether
regular army officer, that splendid sol
| der, Gen. Il. A.. Scammon-[cheersl-
not the most popular man in the iegi-
ment i'm its earlier days, for we Thought
| his discipline very severe and his drill
very hard, but after the battle of South
! Mountain. Gen. Scammon was the most
popular man in the regiment. [Great APP
| plause.1 We knew then for the first
| time what his discipline meant and what
strength il gave TO us on the battlefield
| Nor can we assemble here as we have
today without recalling the third colonel
Of the Twenty -third Ohio, who was long
est with us, Rutherford X. Hayes. [Great
| .hoor;no I U4a yaa helovqd Inv ovarv mn,