The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-05-01
PRESIDENTS WAR RECORD.
The First Of Ten SoIdier-Presidcnts
Ia Issue Cali 10 Arms.
N thc New York TIibunc.l

10 Issue Z All 10 ARMS.
From the New York Tribunel
or the ten soldier Presidents Of the
United States whose services i'll that Of
fee covered practically forty years of
the existence of the republic. William
Mckinley is the first to call the nation
to arms Nine men who had seen active
military service have preceded him as
! Chief Executive Of the nation, several
Of them serving TWO terms, yet it was re-
served for this man, who entered the
service Of the nation as private soldier
at the age of seventeen, ana rose step
Icy step as a result Of active and gallant
service upon the field of battle. thus
realizing The fun meaning of the step,
To Issue the first soldiers call to war.
! Washington. Jackson, Harrison, Taylor,
Pierce. Grant, Hayes, Garfield and Har-
rison, former occupants of the White
House were all military men, all gener-
ais. yet not one of them was called upon
to assume the responsibility and duties
which now deyolye upon William Nc
Kinley. private soldier. sergeant, lieuten-
ant, and, at-the close of his service, ma
jor.
Every war which has heretofore been
entered upon, since the organization of
the Government was begun under the
AdmiIistrat ton of a man without mill
,ary experience, whether it be the war
with the Barbary States in 1893, ana
again in 1918: the war OF 1872; the war
with Mexico. or the war of the rebellion.
Possibly President McKinleys practi-
cal knowledge of war. and of the losses
Of life and all the sorrows which accom-
pany IT, may have had something to do
with his willingness-anXiety indeed
to bring the questions which have been
before him constantly since his inaugura-
ton to a peaceful solution. If this be
true. il was because OF this practical
knowledge Of the horrors of war and
the su6eTinEs ii must bring, for there Is
nothing in William McKinleys personal
record in the field to show lack of cour
age or hesitation before entering upon
he struggle which must result in loss
of life and endanger all those participant
ing 1t is interesting at this time and
under these circumstances to recall some
thing Of the actual war history ana
services of this soldier-President, who
now becomes the Commander-in-Chiefo of
the Army and Navy at the time when
the nation is entering upon actual hos
tili.ies.
1t was in June. 1861 at Poland, Ohio
his boyhood home. that, seventeen
year-old boy, he volunteered and entered
the nations service as a private sol
der The record of his early military
service Is told by that earlier Ohio Pres
ident Gen. Rutherford B. Hayes, who
said of William Mckinley:
When ] first made his acquaintance be
was boy just past the age of seventeen
He, with me, entered upon a new and
strange life-the life of a soldier in the
time of actual war. 1t was soon found
that he had unusual character for the
business of war. Young as lie was, we
soon found in him execute ability, and
an unusual and unsurpas sed cdnacity.
When battles We're to be fought or serv-
ice performed in warlik4 things he al
ways tok his place The night was never
too dark, the weather never too cold, Tor
prompt and efficient performance OF his
duty. When ! became camman.ie1 Of the
regiment he soon came 10 be upon my
staff, and ] learned to know him like a
book and love him like brother He
naturally progressed, for his talent and
capacity could not be unknown. The
bloodiest day of the war the day on
which more men We're killed and wound
| ed than any other day of the war, WAS
/ September Il, 1862, in the bate OF AE
| tietan. That battle began at daylight.
/ Without breakfast, without coffee, the
| men went into the fight and continued
I until after the sun went down. Early in
| thirsty The commissary department IF
! the brigade was under Sergt Mckinley )
| administration. From his hands every
man in the regiment was served with hot
! coffee and warm meats, thing that has
/ never occurred under similar circum-
! stances in any other army IN the world.
! He passed under fire and delivered with
his own hands those things 50 essential
for the men for whom he was iaboring.
When in later years Major McKinley's
qualities as manager Of important un-
| dertakinRs were called into question by
| somebody the reply was made, of ia
rniliar record: "A man who, before ne
had attained the age Of twenty-one kept
| up the supplies for the army of Gen.
Crook. in active service in the field, Is
not lacking in business ability" That
his action in emergency and under great
| stress Of circumstances is prompt and
| wise is shown by an incident occurring
| during Sheridan's great battle at Ope-
guam Capt. Mckinley. as aide-de-camp
on the staff Of Gen. Sheridan. brought
| verbal message to Gen. Duval, command
| ing the second division. TO move his
| command quickly TO a position to the
| right Of the Sixth Corps. the First Di-
vision having previously been ordered to
! that position. Gen. Duval on receiving
/ the order asked BY what route shall
move my commando" Capt. Mckinley.
knowing no more about the country than
did Gen. Duval, and without definite or
| ders. replied Il would move up this
| creek" 10 which Duval answered.: u
/ viii not bulge without definite orders"
| Capt. Mckinley replied: This is a time
| Of great emergency. General. / order
you. by command of Gen. Crook. to move
| your command up this ravine 10 a po-
/ siiion on the right Of the Army"
Gen. Duval obeyed and moved on the
| route indicated 10y the young aide-de-
camp. attained the position. charged
/ the enemy and drove them in confusion
| from their works, as the result Of the
| responsibility taken by Capt. Mckinley
/ in this critical moment"
OF his personal courage in battle 4
! historian writing Of the battle of Win
chester July a, 1864. says
When IL became necessary TO fall back
1 /. was discovered that one Of the regi-
ments was still at the point where il was
posted at the beginning Of the battle
Con JTnyag turning lent MpI<