The record-union., 1896-10-29
M'KINLEY THE SOLDIER.
The Splendid Record Of a Brave
Man.
He Enlisted as Private and Won Ills
Promotions by Hard Fighting
and Attention to Duty.

In this exciting political campaign 1t
seems remarkable that so little has been
written or said of the most brilliant pc
riod of the life of the Republican canol-
date for the Presidency.
While his political career has been
scanned, and every word that ne may
have uttered in Congress or on the
stump has been criticised ana comment
ed upon, the glorious record OF his tour
long years of faithful service In the
field has barely been touched upon. Yet
he was one of the braveSt OF soldiers IN
one Of the most famous regiments OF the
great war, and, while modesty may for
bid his intruding the military opruon OF
his life on the public, it is, at the same
time, very questionable whether he
would be willing to exchange all the
political honors that he has gained, or
those that may come to hir in four
years in the White Hor the
glories that cluster arour -semOries
of his four years of servlce71n- ne army
of the Union.
The regiment in which the young SOL
dier served. the Twenty-third Ohio In
y,
and bore upon it's rolls the names OF
many men who afterward became illus
trious in the country's history. The first
Colonel was William S. Rosecrans. af-
terward Major General and Com
mander Of the armies of Tennessee and
Department of the Cumberland.
The Colonel was that
splendid soldier, Stanley Matthews,
who after the war, became a Senator OF
the United States and then eminent as
Justice of the Supreme Court.
The Major was Rutherford B. Hayes,
afterward Brigadier- General, and then
Governor of Ohio and nineteenth Pres
ident Of the United States
When the war began Mckinley, then
a boy of Is, was teaching country
school. The first gun that sounded the
commencement of the titanic struggle
awoke in the breast of the young school
master all the .feryor and patriotism
that the times called forth, and he was
one of the very first to respond to the
call Of duty, enlisting as a private sol
6ier in Company E June IL, 1861.
For fourteen months he carried the
musket, attaining the rank of Sergeant
u,
calling this period, Private William
Mckinley" then Governor of Ohio, re-
marked to some friends: 81 always look
back with pleasure upon those four
teen months in which 1 served in the
ranks. They taught me a great deal. /
was but a school boy when 1 went into
the army, and that first year was a
formative period Of my life, during
which I learned much of men and af-
fairs. I have always been glad that ]
entered the service as a private and
served those months in that capacity -
September "a, 1862, the Sergeant was
commissioned Second Lieutenant OF
Company D. Five months afterward he
became First Lieutenant of Company
i, and on July %, 1864, he had
risen to be Captain Of Company
g. Every promotion was well
earned. However, no sooner had he
been commissioned than his value as an
officer was recognized, and three
months after receiving his first commits
sion he was detailed as aide-de-camp on
the staff of General Rutherford B
Hayes. From that time until the close
of the war he served continually as a
the staffs of Generals s. S. Carroll
George Crook, afterward the famous In
dian fighter, and Winfield S. Hancock
the superb-all Of these men famous fol
their fighting qualities.
He was breveted Major, on the rec
ommendation of General Philip H
Sheridan, for distinguished and gallan
conduct at Cedar Greek and Fisher.
Hill
With his regiment, or while on stat
duty, he fought in West Virginia, il
the Army of the Potomac under Nc
Clellan, and in the Shenandoah Vale,
under Sheridan. He was in all tn.
early fights in West Virginia, at Soutl
Mountain and Antietam, receiving hi:
shoulder straps one week after tha
last-named bloody battle, and exchang
ing his musket for the sword. Hi:
first battle was at Carnifex Ferry
West Virginia, September 10, 1861
Here the Ohio schoolboy, his face aglov
with patriotism and hope, his hear
overflowing with love Of country, stood
elbow to elbow with his schoolmate.
Of yesterday, his comrades of to-day
Offering his young life, as hundred.
Of other youths were doing in the de
lthse ol IlSht, ana tnat lhe RepuDn(
might not perish. Thus. for four Ions
years he fought, in every battle ant
sl,irmish. until the very end, doing hi!
whole duty, gathering honors, and add.
ing TO his fame as soldier, fearles.
and without reproach, lighting a;
Townsend's Ferry. November 9th; a
Laurel Hill. November 18th: Camr
Creek, May /, 1862: New River, MAY
9th; Packs Ferry. New River, Angus
9th; in support Of Pope's army, Angus
18th; battle of South Mountain, Sep.
te.mber 14th; Antietam, September 1Gtl
and 18th; Cloyd's Mountain, May 9
1864: Buffalo Gap. June 9th; Lexington
June 10th; Otter Creek, June 10th
Lynchburg, June 18th; Liberty, June
10Th; Buford Gap, June Goth Salem
June 21st; Sweet Sulphur Springs, June