The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-09-14
PRES. M'KINLEY'S CAREER
ENLISTED IN THE ARMY UHEN /
 MERE BOY.


 Made an Enviable Reputation in The
 CivaI War-Commissioned n Major By
 Brevet-Nominated ed for the Presidency
 After Twice Refusing the Honor From
 Republican Conventions - His Sue.
 cesses in Congress.
 William Mckinley, the twenty-fift
 president of the United States, was born in Niles, Ohio, January 29, 1843.
 presidents forefathers came to Ameri-
 ca 150 years ago.
 William was the seventh child in the
 family of nine. His first education
 was received in the public schools of
 Niles, but when he was nine years of
 age his parents removed to Poland,
 Oho
 There he was admitted into Union
 seminary and pursued his studies until
 he was seventeen. Excelling in most
 of his studies, he was especially noted
 for his brilliancy in debate. He evinc-
 led a lively interest in all the great
 public questions of the day. His. ap- Hplication was intense, and soon his
 health was so undermined that he was zobliged to return home for rest and Hrecuperation, but even then he did not Uescape severe illness. When his Ehealth was restored he sought and ob-
 tained a place as teacher in the pub
 lie schools of the Kerr district
 It was at this period that he joined
 the Methodist Episcopal church. He
 became a diligent student of the Bible and was frequent participant in the
 discussions in the Bible class.
 His career really began at the out
 break of the civil war. At that time he was a clerk in the Poland postof-
 flee. A war meeting was held. At
 the close of a patriotic speech by an eloquent speaker a call was made for volunteers. Young Mckinley was among those who stepped forward. He went with the recruits to Columbus and was there enlisted as a private in Company E of the Twenty third Ohio Volunteer infantry. During the four t6eIl lllOlllflS lie SeINeu dS q pilNdtt ilC developed from slip of boy to al robust young man. He participated in all the early engagements in Vest Virginia. In the winters camp at 8Fayettsvile he earned and received his | first promotion-Commissa sergeant.
 At the battle of Antietam Sergt. Mel Kinley was in charge of the commits sary department of his brigade, and, necessarily. his post of duty was with the supplies, about two miles from where his famished comrades were battling with the enemy. Sergt. Mel Kinley filled two wagons with cansl .containing hot coffee and other sup-I plies, and hurried them to the front.
 Col Hayes was badly wounded atl South Mountain, and when he wentI | home he told the story to Gov Tod, |The governor at once requested that al Ilieutenant's commission be made out flor Mckinley. This was done, theI commission dating from September 24, |1ss2 While he was a second lieutenant, |McKinley's regiment participated in al humber of minor engagements, in alli |of which he showed great gallantry. February ', 1863, he received his com mission as first lieutenant It was un-N |der his leadership that his companya Twas the first to scramble over the for-Y at Camp Platt. It was at 1.-the battle of Kernstown that he gain A led his greatest military distinction. Crooks army was attacked by Ear |lys Crook had but 5000 men, while Early had 10000 Gen. Hayes had charge of the first brigade. He was on |the extreme right, and was soon at-s Lacked with such fury that he was obliged to fall back toward Winchester. ,The movement was successfully execut- led, except that the Thirteenth West Virginia Regiment failed to retire, and Twas in imminent danger of capture Lieut.. Mckinley was ordered to go and bring the regiment away, if 1t had not already fallen into the hands of the X 'enemy. . Once he was completely enveloped in S the smoke of an exploding shell and his comrades, who were watching his 5 gallant ride with the gravest anxiety, thought he had surely gone down. But when the smoke had cleared away theyts saw him sitting erect in his saddle and ' pressing on. lie TeCelNeu HIS OEuelS, N and the regiment was rescued after a N desperate conflict with overwhelmingly superior forces. The next day, July T 25, 1864, at the age of twenty-one Me- s Kinley was promoted to be a cap tain. N
 In a fierce engagement at Berryville A on September 3, 1864, Capt. McKinley's horse was shot under him. At Opequan and Fishers Hill he again distinguish si ed himself. Soon after the battle of z Fishers Hill his regiment was detailed A as 8. train guard to Martinsburg. RI
 Mckinley was with sherman at the battle of Winchester. For time he \ was on the staff of Gen. Hancock. La ter he was assigned as acting assist | ant adjuta.nt general on the staff of 4 Gen, Samuel s. Carroll, commanding A the veteran reserve corps at Washing M ton. where he remained through that X exciting period which included the sur \, render of Lee to Grant at AppamattoX RI and the assassination of President Lin & coln. It was just month before MI. N, Lincoln fell a victim to an assassin's X bullet that Mckinley received from him !, one of his most precious possessions i's ,fF,.. 1.xrl& ,-1.t A