The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-17

traced from 1547- The direct ancestor
Of the president was of mixed Scotch
and Irish blood, and came to America
about 1743, settling in York county
Pennsylvania, where the great grand
father Of the president, David McKin-
ley was born in 1755. David psytici-
pated in several battles of the revOlu-
ton. After the war he lived in West
( moreland and Chester counties, Penn
sylVania, removing to Ohio in 1914. He
died at the age of IS. His son. James.
settled in Coiumbiana county. Ohio, in
1903. William Mckinley, sr., father Of
the president, was born in Pennsyi-
vania in 1907. lie was identified with
the iron manufacturing industry all his
/ life, experimenting the erection and
/ operation of furnaces and gaining a
/ fair competency. He was a devout
/ Methodist, staunch Wing and Repub-
! ltcan and an ardent advocate of a pro-
| tective tariff He lived to see his son a
/ national character as chairman of the
| ways and means committee in congress.
but died during Williams first term as
, governor of Ohio, in 1892
! The presidents grandmother, the
/ wife of James Mckinley, was Mary
Rose, the descendant of q Puritan fam
! lily which fed from England to Holland
and thence came to the American col
onies before the revolution. Her father
was an officer in the continental army.
His mother. whose death was one of
/ White House, was Nancy Campbell AL
lson, the daughter of an English and
! Scotch-GerTnan alliance. She was the
mother of nine children, William being
the seventh.
William. junior was born. in Niles.
( Trumbull county. o. The long, low
two-story building where he first saw
| the light served the double purpose of
n country store and dwelling. IL was
torn down in 1895 and the hard woods
in the baseboards and mantels were
made into canes which We're sold as
souvenirs.
His Early Life.
The future president received his first
, education IN the Niles public school,
but when he was years old removed
with his family to Poland. Mahoning
county, where he was at once admitted
10 the Union seminary and pursued his
studies until the age OF II. He excelled
in the study of mathematics languages
and in debate.
In 1860 he was sent to Allegheny coll
lege, Meadville,@ Pa, where he was
easily admitted to the junior class, and
would have been graduated in the fol-
lowing year but for the failure of his
health Intense application to mis-
studies had so weakened his system
that he was obliged TO return home
for rest and recuperation, but even
then he did not escape severe illness.
As soon as he was able he sought
7
public schools and for a term or two
he taught in the Kerr district, near
Poland. He was fond of athletic sports
and was n good horseman. At the age
OF 10 he became a member Of the Meth
odist Episcopal church, and was noted
for his diligent study of the Bible and
his interest in the discussions that took
place in the Bible class
His Enlistment.
When the civil war broke out he was
clerk in the Poland postoffice Here.
IN the Sparrow tavern, a war meeting
was held at which a stirring appeal
was made for volunteers. Presently
says one writer "a space was cleared
IN 'front.' Of the speaker. One by one
some OF the choicest young men of
Poland stepped forward. Among them,
q slight, gray-eyed, bOyish figure too
much impressed with the seriousness
of the situation to put himself in evil
dence, went up with the rest"
He went with the other recruits to
Columbus, and there enlisted in COM
pany + of tie Twenty-third Ohio in
fantry, which was destined to become
one OF the most famous in the annals
of the volunteer army.
Young Mckinley served till the close
OF the war and the experience resulted
in great benefit to his health. He said
of his time as a private:
I always look back with pleasure
upon the fourteen months l served in
int ldtiAS- 1ney taught ne a great
deal l was but a schoolL " when I
went into the army and that first year
was formative period in my life. dur
ing which 1 learned much Of men and
facts. l have always been glad that 1
entered the service as a private and
served those months in that capacity"
lie participated in all the early en-
sagements in West Virginia. and was
promoted to conmissary sergeant. titus
passing over the office of corporal. He
never liked the title of Little Cor
poral" or his alleged resemblance to
Napoleon BonaDarte.
Two Gallant Exploits.
The following anecdote from one Of
his biographies illustrates his Thought
fulness and courage: AT Antietam his
regiment bravely held its position in
the hottest OF the night. II was engaged
from dawn until nearly night without
breakfast or dinner. food or refresh
ment of any sort save that brought
them by one Of the youngest of the
comrades. Sergeant Mckinley was in
charge of the commissary department.
of his brigade and necessarily his duty
was with the supplies about two miles
from where his famished and exhaust
ed comrades were fighting to hold their
advanced position and for their lives
and probably for the fate of the army
AS is the case in all hot fights there
we're some straggiers VINO found their
way DICK 10 the supplies. and these
Mckinley saw ne could utilize TO get
/ together provisions and coffee and
carry them to the front. This was at
the time when the fortunes of the
battle were swaying to and fro and it
was doubtful whether Antietam would
be a victory or a defeat. 1t was nearly
dark. when suddenly ther- was heard
tremendous cheering along the front
of the Twenty third Ohio. General
Scammon sent an aide to ascertain the
cause of the Union cheering and he
galloped OFF to find that the cheers were
for Mckinley and his coffee. He had
filed two wagons and in the midst of
the desperate fight with shells and
bullets flying in all directions. had hur-
ried the cans of coffee and 0ther sup
plies TO his dispirited comrades, who
took fresh courage after the refresh
ment. The mules of one wagon became
disabled under the terrific fire but this
piucky boy of 10 pushed on and got the
other wagon to the regiment"
BY order of the governor Mckinley
was given commission as first lieu
tenant after this exploit.
In the battle of Kernstown near Win
chester on July p. 1864. Lieutenant Nc
ISinley won additional honors. Crooks
army was attacked by the whole of
I Early's. the national forces being e0Q0
strong and the Confederate 0OOO.
Hayes had charge OF the first brigade
OH the extreme right and was soon at