The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-24
WILLIAM M'KINLEY
AS THE SOLDIER
TIE Splendid Military Record Of Her 0
and Patr. .Ot.
FACTS WORTHY OF CLOSE STUDY
lie Enlisted rs rriyate in the Same
Regiment with pX.prcsiuCIt Hayes,
ard " on Each one Of Ills Promo.
tiOns by iiard Fighting and Strict
Attention 10 Duty.
From the Philadelphia Ledger,

From the Philadelphia Ledger
In this exciting political campaign it
seems remarkable that SO little mas
been written or said of the most bril-
liant petiod Of the life of the Republic
can candidate FOR the presidency.
Whi!e his political career has been
scanned, and every word that he may
have uttered in congress or ON the
Stuap has been criticised and COM
lnented upon, the glorious record of his
four long years Of faithful service III
the field has barely been touched upon.
Vet he was one OF the bTaVeSt OF SOL
dires in one of the most famous reEi-
mems of the greet war. and, While
nGCesty may forbid his intrudnS the
military portion of his life on the public,
i. Is. AT the same time. very question:
able whether he would be willing to cX-
change all the political honors that he
has gained, or those that may come to
him in four years in the White house,
for the G1orics that cluster around the
memories of his four years of service
in the Army of the Union.
The regiment in which the young SOL
dier served, the TWenty-third Ohio In
Iantry, was one of the bravest and best.
ana bore upon its rolls the names of
many men who afterwards became IL
iuStrious in the country's history. The
first colonel was william S. RosecranSs
afterNyard major general and command
cr of th" armies of the Tennessee and
Department Of the Cumberland.
fhe lieutenant colonel was that splcn-
did soldier, Stanley Matthews, who, at
ter the war. became II senator of the
United States and then eminent as a
justice of the supreme court.
The major was Rutherford B. Hayes.
afterwards hrigadier general. and then
- !,
dent of the United States.
THE WARS BEGINNING.
When the war began Mcinley, then
boy of Is, was teaching a country
school. The first gun that sounded the
commencement of the titanic struggle
awoke In the breast of the young
schoolmaster all the fervor and patriot
ism that the times called forth, and
he was one of the very first to respond
to the call of duty, enlisting as a priv-
ate soldier in Company + June II, 1851
For fourteen months he carried the
musket. attaining the rank of sergeant
April l5, 1862. Years afterwards, in re-
calling this period, "private William
Mckinley" then Governor of Ohio, re-
marked to some friends: 81 always look
back with pleasure upon those fourteen
months in which ! served in the ranks.
They taught me great deal. ! was
but q school boy when | went into the
army, and that first year was forma-
tive period of my life, during which l
learned much of men and affairs. l
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 ID. Five months afterwards
h." became first lieutenant of Company
T., ana on July %, 1864. he had risen to
he captain of Company G. Every pro-
motion was well earned. However,
no sooner had he been commissioned
than his value as an officer was recog-
hized. and three months after receiving
lis first commission he was detailed as
aide c-de-cainp on the staff of General
Rutherford b. Hayes. from that time
until the close of the war he served
"Jntmually as Il staff officer, being at
ri" erent times on the staffs of Generals
:. ). Carroll, George Crook, afterwards
the famous Indian fighter, and Winfield
:. Hancock. the superb-all of these
men famous for their fighting qualities.
He was breveted Major, on the re-
rumnendation Of General Philip II.
sheridan. for distinguished and gallant
conduct at Cedar Creek and Fishers
iHl.
OTHER BATTLES.
With his regiment. or while on staff
duty. he fought in West Virginia, in the
Army of the Potomac under Mcclellan,
ANA in the Shenandoah Valley under
Sheridan. He was in all the early fights
in west Virginia, at South Mountain
ana Antietam, receiving his shoulder
straps one week after that last named
bloody battle, and exchanging his mus
ket for the sword. His first battle was
AT CarnifeX Ferry. West Virginia, Sep
tenber 10, 1861. Here the Ohio school,
boy, his face aglow with patriotism and
nope, his heart overtowing with love
"f country, stood elbow to elbow with
his schoolmates of yesterday, his COM
rades of today, Offering his young life,
as hundreds of thousands OF other
youths were doing, in defense of right,
and that the republic might not perish.
Thus. for four long years he fought in
every battle and skirmish, until the
very end, doing his whole duty, gather
ing honors and adding to his fame as a
soldier fearless and without reproach,
fighting AT Townsends Ferry. Nov. C;
At Laurel Hill, Nov. II; Camp Creek,
May l, 1862: New River, May 6; Packs
Ferry, New River Aug. 6; in support of
Pope's army, Aug. 10; battle of South
Mountain. Sept. IA; Antietam, Sept. l6
and II; Cloyd's Mountain. May 8, 1864;
Buffalo Gap, June 6; Lexington, June
~ o'tOi Ni'th, JUNE IlpIDurp,
June II; Liberty, June 10; Buford Gap,
June 20; Salem, June 21 Sweet Sulphur
Springs. June %; in the campaign
against Early, July IA to Nov. %: skir-
mish at Cabletown, July 10: fight at
Smokers Ferry, July q; Winchester
and Kernstown, July 23 and "A; Mar
tinsburg. July 25; Berryvlle, Aug. 10;
Halltown, Aug. %; Berryville, Sept. 3,
where his horse was shot unier him;
battle of Winchester. Sept. 19; Fishers
Hill, Sept. %; skirmish at New Market,
oct. Z: Cedar Creek, Oct. 13; battle of
Cedar Creek, Oct. 19-in all, more tnan
thirty battles and skirmishns-in the
very front, from the beginning 20 the
end; from the first shot until the ve,y
last-mustered out July &c, 1865. after
more than four years of continuous ser
vice, never missing days duty or a
fight. He was but 22 years of age eycn
then, yet veteran of two score and
ten engagements, distinguished among
the bravest of the brave in the greatest
war the world ha sever seen-as n pri-
vate soldier, knowing how to follow
and obey; as an officer, how to lead
and command.
Honored and breveted by the fiery