The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-10-02
TALKED TO VETERANS,
Survivors Of the Twenty-third
Ohio Regiment Journey in a
Body to Canton.
M'KlNLEY AND HIS COMRADES.
The Major Makes Speech Which
Rouses the Old Soldiers to
Enthusiasm.

comrades in war called at his home on
August u. 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 it's war
record, the number of it's hard-fought
battles, including South Mountain, An
tietam and Gen. Sheridan's many bat
ties in the Shenandoah valley in '64; 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 and Gen. Russell Hastings of the
Bermuda islands.
The scene today was a 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
and the old flag. waved with every burst
of applause. Capt. Ellen told of VIII
liam Mckinley as 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
nomination as candidate for the Presi-
| dent of the United States. I remember
that Co. r had one member, very youth
IuI IN appearance, SO InuCn SO IQdC Cdpt.
Robinson of the Fifth infantry made
| some inquiry as to age and consent of
parents.
Eager for the Fray.
The answers of the recruit We're 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 full-fedged pri-
| vate soldier in the Union army. EGreat
! applause and three cheers for McKin-
leg;} H;son . 49, lin, :, ,,o,,.
| of West Virginia, where we fought and
skirmishtl the summer away, meeting
| and defe.. ling 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 commis-
| stoned staff commissary sergeant. Those
| of us present whom you then served are
ready to 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 requisition on the
country round about. At later day
| your gallantry and fidelity secured your
promotion and assignment to duty on
| 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-fve 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 untaf-
nished as its flag" With an abiding
and discriminating judgment of the
American people, we again congratulate
you and bid you Godspeed. Great ap-
plause and cheeringD
Happy Reply of MIR. Mckinley.
When storm of applause had sub
sided Maj. Mckinley responded:
Capt. Ellen and My Comrades "f the
lWeHtN-tulTu oH1O. C<tI VI lhC SUI
| giving members of the old regiment with
which / served for more than four years
at nv home is a most gracious. act on
their part. and brings TO me peculiar and
special qualification. As L 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-fve years ago, had 1910 sturdy
young men on it's roll ready for duty,
and that it was twice RECRUITED to the
total number of nearly 22OO, that here
is gathered possibly less than 100. and
that is one-fourth of the surviving mem
bers of our glorious old regiment l am
viyidly 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 IT our
members are in the territories. One of
them resides on the other side of the
water. But wherever they are, and in
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 it.
Our hearts go out with tenderness and
love, am sure, to the first colonel of our
regiment, Gen. William s. Rosecrans,
to his distant home in California. IGreat
pline and gentle qualities, and we remam-
ber 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. e. P. ScammonIcheers]-
not the most popular man in the 1egi-
ment in 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 ap-
plause.J We knew. then for the first
time what his discipline meant and what
strength it 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 B. Hayes. [Great
cheering.l He was beloved by every man
of the regiment, and no braver colonel
ever led his soldiers to battle. Nor Stan
ley Matthews, the first ieutenant-colonel
of the regiment-the great soldier and
lawyer. [Applause.] Nor can we forget
Comley, glorious old Comley. [Cheers
and cries of "Nor Mrs. Hayes.''1 Nor
Mrs. Hayes, the faithful friend of the
nd hova ,,u <odoy