The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-25
M'KINLEY'S WAR RECORD
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WELL QUAIL.
IFIED FOR ANY EMERGENCY.
First of Ten Soldier Presidents to
Call the Nation to Arms-His
Courage ON the Field.


| forty years of the existence of the Repub-
lie. William Mckinley Is the first 10 call
the Nation to arms. Nine men who had
seen active military service have preceded
him as chief executive of the Nation, sew
eral of them serving two terms, yet II was
reserved for this man. who entered the
service of the Nation as a private soldier
at the age of seventeen and rose step by
step as a result of active and gallant serv-
ice upon the field of battle, thus realizing
the full meaning Of the step, to issue the
first soldiers cali to war. Washington,
jackson, Harrison. Taylor, Pierce, Grant,
Hayes, Garfield and Harrison, formerly
cupants of the White House, were all mill
tary men, all generals. yet not one of them
was called on to assume the responsibility
and duties which now devolve William
Mckinley, private soldier, sergeant, lieu
tenant and, at the close of his service,
major.
Every war which has heretofore been enc
tered on since the organization of the gov
eminent was begun under the administra-
ton of a man without military experience.
whether 1t be the war with the Barbary
States in 1903 and again in 1915. the war Of
1872, the war with Mexico or the war of the
rebellion.
Possibly President McKinley's practical
knowledge of war and of the losses of life
and all the sorrows which accompany it
may have had something TO do with his
Willingness, anxiety, indeed, to bring the
questions which have been constantly be-
fore him since his Inauguration to peace
full solution. If this be true, 1t was because
of this practical knowledge of the horrors
of war and the sufferings 1t must bring,
for there is nothing in William McKinley's
personal history in the field to show lack Of
courage or hesitation before entering upon
the struggles which must result in a loss
of life and endanger all those participating.
1t is interesting at this time and under
these circumstances to recall something Of
the actual war history and services of this
soldler-President, who now becomes the
at the time when the Nation is entering on
actual hoStilitieS. 1t was in June, 1861 at
Poland, o., his boyhood home, when only
seventeen years old, he volunteered and en-
tered the Nations service as a private SOL
der. The record OF his early military serv-
ice IS told by that earlier Ohio President.
Gen. rutherford b. Hayes, who said of Will
liam Mckinley: When | first made his ac-
quaintance he was boy just past the age
OF seventeen. He, with me, entered on a
new. strange life. a soldiers life in the time
OF actual war. 1t was soon found that he
had unusual character for the business Of
war. Young as he was, we soon found him,
in executive ability, a man of unusual and
unsurpassed capacity. When battles were
warlike things he always took his place
The night was never too dark, the weather
never too cold for prompt and efficient per-
romance of his duty. When / became
commander of the regiment he soon came
TO be on my staff, and / learned to know
him like book and love him like a brother.
He naturally progressed. for his talent and
capacity could not be unknown. The blood
lest day of the war, the day on which mora
men were killed and wounded than any 9TH
er day of the war, was the 18th OF Septem-
Der, 1862, in the battle OF Antietam. That
battle began at daylight. Without break
fight and continued until after the sun went
down Early in the afternoon they were
famished and thirsty. The commissary de-
partment of the brigade was under Sergeant
McKtnley's administration. From his hands
every man in the regiment was served with
hot coffee and warm meats, "a thing that
had 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 so essential for the
men for whom he laboring."
When, in later years, Major McKinleys
qualities as a manager of important under
takings were called into question by some
body, the reply was made by one familiar
with his record: "A man who, before he
had attained the age of twenty-one kept
up the supplies for the army of General
crook in active service in the field is not
lacking in business ability" That his action
in an emergency and under great stress Of
circumstances is prompt and wise is shown
by an incident occurring during Sheridans
great battle at Opequan, when Captain Nc
Kinley, an aid-de-camp on the staff OF Gen.
sheridan, brought verbal order to Gen.
Duval; commanding the second division to
move his command quickly to a position on
the right of the Sixth Corps, the first
division having previously been ordered 10
that position
General Duval, on receiving the order
commando
about the country than did General Duval,
and without definite orders, replied: Il
would move UP this creek"
General Duval replied: II will not bulge
without definite orders"
In reply Captain Mckinley said: 'This is
ao tme bS OF great emergency general order
move your command up this ravine to a
position on the right Of the army"
route indicated by the young aid-de-camp.
attained the, position, charged the enemy
HnG grove IN them IN confusion from their
taken oy Captain Mckinley in this critical
OF his personal courage in battle. q his
torlan, writing of the battle of Winchester
| or July M 1894, says: when it became
necessary to fall back, it was discovered
| point where it was posted at the beginning
| OF the battle. General Hayes, turning 10
Lieutenant Mckinley, directed him TO go and
prlhg away this regiment If it had not al
ready fallen back. Mckinley turned his
aorse ana aS keenly squirting it, pushed at a
| Herce gailop obliquely toward The advanc-
ing enemy. sad look came over General
Hayes's face as he saw this gallant youth
| push rapidly forward to almost certain
| death None OF us expected to see him
| again as we watched him push his horse
| through the open fields, over fences over
| bitches, while a well directed fire from the
| enemy was poured upon min, with shells
| exploding around, about and over him once
| ne was completely enveloped in the smoke
| or an exploding shell and we Thought he
| mad gone down. but out of this smoke
emerged wiry little brown horse with Me-
| kinney still firmly seated, as erect as nus
| sar. lie reached the regiment and gave
| the order to fail back. The colonel in reply
| SAID: 4 am ready to go wherever You shall
| lead. but. lieutenant, I believe / ought to
| give these Fellows a voIley or two before
L 60 Mckinley's reply was: Then up
ana at them as quickly as possible and on
| orders the regiment arose. gave the enemy
crushing voIiey, followed with rafting
! fire. and then slowly retreated under Nc
kiriey . lead toward Winchester AS Ne
kiniey drew up by the side OF Hayes after
bringing the regiment to the brigade Gen.
Hayes said; Mckinley. / never expected
| TO see you I'm life again F"
That the war record of the man now Pres
| ident, and, by virtue of that office COM
mander-ln-chIef OF the army and navy was
/ an active one is shown by the following
| statement of battles in which his regiment
the IWenty-third Ohio, was, according to
| the official Ohio roster engaged: Carnifex
/ Ferry. Sept 10, 1861; Clarka's Hollow, May
/ ]. 1862; Princeton, w. Va May 15 1862:
! South Mountain, Nd, Sept. a. 1862; Ante
/ tam, Sept. IL, 1862; Buf1ington's island Ohio,
/ in Morgans raid, July 49, 1863; CIoyds
! Mountain, Va, May 81 1864; New River
/ Bridge, Va, May 10, 1864; Buffalo Gap W.